The Host Club Presents: Reika Niigata
by AliasesGarble
Summary: Reika Niigata has come to Ouran after a lifetime of homeschooling. She isn't just any ordinary girl, on her first day she met the Host Club and figured out their best kept secret. To keep her quiet, Kyoya decides to welcome her into the club as his assistant. But he is more interested in the absence of her file than anything else.
1. The Host Club Welcomes Reika Niigata!

**Chapter One**

_The Host Club Welcomes Reika Niigata!_

* * *

It was early when the tall brunette girl wandered through the courtyard of Ouran Academy. She was the first student to arrive that morning. She roamed the hallways memorizing every twist and turn, every classroom and every room. When she made it to the office she smiled brightly at the secretary.

"Hello, I'm Reika Niigata. I'm new to Ouran Academy." she said bowing slightly to the woman behind the desk. "Where would I be able to find my class schedule?"

The woman smiled in return. Though it wasn't her job, she replied, "Wait just a moment, I will grab it for you."

Reika watched as the large hallways of Ouran Academy filled with students slowly. Friends laughed with one another, and she felt a bit of jealousy of how people could be so comfortable with one another.

"Here it is." the woman returned, smile still on her face as she handed Reika her schedule on the nicely printed paper.

"Thank you." Reika replied, bowing slightly once again. She scanned her paper and looked around the school with a deliberate look of lost. "This is quite the big school." she said, trying to make her point more direct.

"Yes." the woman said. "I hope you don't mind, but in your file I saw that you have been privately tutored all your life."

"That's right." Reika responded. "I thought I should give school a try, maybe make some friends…"

In that moment, three laughing girls passed in front of the office and the secretary called for their attention. "Girls, would you come here a minute?" the woman asked.

"What can we help you with Sasaki-san?" the three girls answered in union. Which Reika found slightly weird.

As they approached, Reika got a better look at them. Two of the girls were shorter than her, one had black hair and the other was a brunette. The girl in the middle, the tallest and the same height as Reika had brown hair, and looked as if she was the leader.

"Girls, this is Reika Niigata. She is new to Ouran Academy, would you please show her around?" the secretary, Miss Sasaki, asked politely.

The girls faces suddenly transformed into delight and excitement, again, in union. Reika raised as slight eyebrow at that, but quickly changed it to an imitation of relief and happiness. That was soon replaced with shock as the three girls pulled her into their group while throwing suggestions as to what they could do.

"This is going to be so much fun, we can be best friends now." the short brunette said.

"We can hang out all the time." said the tall one.

"Oh, we can take her to the Host Club with us. They love having new guest." gushed the third one.

"Oh, yes. This is going to be so much fun!" the short brunette said as thy carried her away.

It wasn't until they had made halfway to their class they realised they had forgotten a very important thing.

"Oh my gosh, girls we forgot to introduce ourselves." the tall one said with gasp. The others followed suit in their reactions.

"How could we have forgotten?" the one with black hair said. They uncrowded Reika and stood in a line in front of her.

"I'm Princess Minori Shiga." the tall one said.

"I'm Nanami Ito." said the one with black hair.

"And my name is Izumi Maede." said the short brunette.

"It's a pleasure to met you." they said in union.

Reika put on a smile, despite her still weirded-out feeling over their shared emotions and actions. "It's a pleasure to met you all."

They smiled back at her. "Let me see your schedule." Princess Shiga said reaching for Reika's schedule, which she gladly gave.

The other two looked at the piece of paper behind the Princess' back. The three girls sighed mournfully in union.

"What's wrong?" Reika asked.

"You're not in the same class as us." Ito said.

Reika looked down with a sad look, though secretly she was actually relieved. "That's too bad." she said.

"Not to worry!" Meade said, with a look of triumph. "We will all hang out after classes, at the Host Club."

"Oh Rei-chan, you are going to love it." Ito said sighing hankerly. "Just love it!"

Reika was only slightly surprised that she had meet these girls not five minutes ago and they already called her as if they had known each other for ages.

"What is the Host Club?" Reika asked as they walked down the hallway towards her class.

"It's just the most amazing thing ever!" Princess Shiga said. "But I won't give it away, we want it to be a surprise."

"Oh, a surprise!" Ito said. "That's a wonderful idea."

They stopped walking in front of a classroom door, which Reika assumed was her class. "Here we are." Maede said opening the door for Reika.

"Thank you." Reika said going in, not expecting the rest of the girls to follow.

There were a few students in the room already, even though the bell had yet to ring. Though Reika couldn't see it, her new friends were paralyzed in shock with their mouths opened at the sight of two particular students in the room.

Reika turned around to check the clock and found the frozen state of her friends. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

They simultaneously pointed at the blonde boy and the dark haired one with glasses at in the middle row.

"What about them?" Reika asked. Yes, they are attractive. But this seems to be about something else. Reika thought to herself.

"They are in the Host Club." Ito said, blushing. At her words, the two boys looked towards them. The blonde one smiled while the other kept an indifferent face as they stood up and went to greet the four girls.

"Princess Monori. Nanami. Izumi." the blonde one greeted each girl with a kiss on the back of their hands. "And who might you be? I don't think I could ever forget a girl as lovely as you." he flirted with Reika as he took her hand and followed suit to his previous activities with the other girls.

"Um, hi. I'm Reika Niigata…" Reika said, unsure what to do. She wasn't usually around boys. "I'm new to Ouran."

"That must be it." the blonde boy said. "Well, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tamaki Suoh." he said.

"Nice to meet you." Reika said.

"The pleasure is all mine, beautiful flower." he said smoothly. The girls behind Reika blushed and sighed, while Reika simply blushed slightly and looked down.

She wasn't entirely used to boys paying attention to her in flirtacious manner. She needed a distraction from her pink cheeks, she looked to the boy behind Tamaki. He was scribbling notes on a clipboard.

"And you are?" she asked, looking at him.

The boy raised his eyes from his work and smiled. "I'm Kyoya Ootori, a pleasure to meet you Reika Niigata." he said, testing her name. It was familiar to him, but he couldn't quite remember where from. He decided to jot it down on his clipboard and look it up later. "I hope you came join in the Host Club after school."

"Oh, we will!" Ito blurted before Reika could respond.

"We look forward to seeing you then." Tamaki said just as the bell rang. "You girls better go, I would hate to make you late for class."

The three girls sighed smiling and blushing as they complied to his request. "He's so dreamy!" one of them said outside the classroom.

"Bye, Rei-chan." they called as they passed through the door. "See you at lunch."

"Bye." she said. Reika stood still while trying to decide on a good seat. She lost herself in thought until Kyoya look up from his clipboard again and noticed her.

"Aren't you going to class, Niigata?" he asked her.

It took a second a second for his words to reach her. "Hum? Oh, I'm already in class." she said absent mindedly, deciding on the desk on the third row.

Kyoya looked at her as she sat down. Interesting. He said to himself as he got back to seat and continued to write on his clipboard.

The end of school couldn't come fast enough for Princess Minori, Nanami, and Izumi. After the last bell rang they hurried to Reika's class and waited for her.

"Are you ready?" they said together with excited smiles.

"Yes." Reika replied, also smiling.

They walked together until they came upon Music Room #3. "You're going to love this!" Princess Shiga said as Ito and Maede opened the double doors. The doors opened to a large room set up with tables, chairs, and couches. The room was decorated with roses, and the tables set up with tea and pastries.

"Welcome." said the seven boys in the center of the room.

It took a minute for Reika to take them all in. She recognized Tamaki and Kyoya, of course. The other five members were all different, yet they seemed to fit together well. There were two red haired boys that looked alike; the tall, dark, and bruting guy with a small and adorable little blonde boy on his side; and there was a short boy with brown hair, that had very feminine features and seemed very familiar to her. She would have to take a closer look at that later.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Maede said with a sigh as she was lead away. Following Ito to a table with the tall and dark boy that was sitting with the adorable little blonde boy.

"Yes…" Reika said, though she was very confused. Princess Shiga noticed, and gave her a reassuring look.

"I'm sure that Kyoya can explain things to you." she said before she was whisked away by Tamaki.

Reika took the opportunity of the absence of her friends to look around the room again. The room was filled with girls wearing the yellow Ouran Academy uniforms. They were wooing and awe-ing the seven boys. Well, six. Kyoya was writing things down on his clipboard.

_What was he always writing anyway?_ Reika wondered. Before she realized, she was was walking towards him.

He looked up as she approached. "Hello, Ootori." she said to him.

"Hello, Niigata. And welcome to the Host Club." he said smiling.

She smiled back. "What is the Host Club?" she asked.

Kyoya was slightly taken aback, internally, of course. Most girls explained to each other what the Host Club was, or they just went along with it until they understood.

"I'm glad you asked." he said, his smiled widened as he jumped into Tamaki's explanation of the Host Club. "The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time in their hands entertain young ladies who also have way too much time in their hands, just think of it as the Ouran Academy's elegant playground for the super-rich and beautiful."

"Okay…" Reika said, looking a bit weirded-out.

"And please, call me Kyoya." he said.

"Alright, Kyoya." Reika said smiling. "You can call me Reika." she said then paused. "How does the Host Club work?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"It's simple," he said. "First we need to find out what your type is."

"My type?" she asked.

"Yes, every girl has a type of boy she likes." he said. "And the Ouran Host Club has many options to choose from."

"What do you have?" she asked, trying to guess what type each the boys were.

Kyoya pointed at Tamaki. "We have the-"

"Let me guess," Reika interrupted. "The prince charming type?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Tamaki is the princely kind." he said, fixing his glasses. She nodded for him to continue. He pointed at the twins who were gazing into each other's eyes as the girls swooned.

"Overbearing-near-twincest-brotherly-love type?" she wondered, not entirely sure what to make of it.

"Hikaru and Kaoru are brotherly love, yes. But also devilish." he said.

He pointed at the blonde little boy.

"The cute, and innocent type?" she asked.

"Boy lolita, is Honey's prefered title." he said.

"Okay, and the tall guy-"

"Mori."

"Mori," she corrected. "Is the silent and bruting type."

"Basically, yes." he shrugged. He pointed to the familiar brunette boy.

"Him, I'm not sure." she admitted, not wanting to offend anyone with her assumptions.

"That's Haruhi, he is the normal type." he said.

She gave him a puzzled look, but nodded. "And what type are you." she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I take care of the club." he said.

"So you're the president?"

"The vice president," he corrected her. "Tamaki is the president."

"What are you, then? Besides the vice president?" she asked.

"The Cool type." he said, he fixed his glasses in an elegant manner so his glasses reflected the light, trying to prove his point.

"Okay, 'cool' guy," Reika teased. "Where do you suggest I start, since I have no idea what my type is."

He looked down at the girl next to him, she was quite tall compared to most girls, he noticed. He also wondered how a girl didn't know what type of guy she was into, though it wasn't his place to question it.

"Start with Tamaki, he is our biggest pleaser." he suggested.

"Alright, I will." she said walking away, not quite leaving until she looked back. "Thank you, Kyoya."

Kyoya watched her walk way and into the sitting area where Tamaki was entertaining his guests. There was something about this girl, he said to himself. It was unsettling to him. He decided it was good time to check on her files.

Reika had spent about ten minutes with Tamaki, before deciding he wasn't really her type. He was very charming, but not much else, at least nothing that he was showing. She drank some tea with Honey and Mori, though she had to admit that Honey was adorable and Mori was very sweet, she just could hang around that much sweetness before it gave her emotional cavities. The twins were a little too much...some girl seemed to love their love though, and she couldn't see what Kyoya meant by the twins being devilish.

Now she was sitting with Haruhi, sipping tea and listening to what the story of how he lost and overcame the loss of his mother. It was entirely touching. It was getting to the end of the Host Club and the boys were ushering the girls out. It was then when Reika's curiosity took the wheel on her actions.

She had spent rather a lot of time with Haruhi and she couldn't help but notice how feminine 'he' was and that brought back the familiar feeling and she knew just where she had seen Haruhi before. She just had to ask.

"Haruhi," she said to him. "I don't want this to sound like I'm judging you, but how did a cross-dresser end up in the Host Club?"

Reika, being the last girl there, was heard by all the Host Club members. "Cross-dresser, cross-dresser." the words echoed in the room and in the members heads as they all went pale.

Something, indeed. Kyoya said to himself.

"What? Haruhi, a girl? No." Tamaki came in trying to save the situation, and failing miserably. "What makes you say that?"

"Yeah, there's no one more manly than Haruhi." one of the twins said and the other agreed.

"Of course Haru-chan isn't a girl." Honey said. "He's wearing boy's clothing."

"That doesn't mean anything, lots of people cross-dress." Reika said shrugging. "I don't mean to cause you any trouble. I personally don't care if you're a boy or a girl, Haruhi. You seem like a really good person."

"Then why did you ask?" Haruhi asked.

"I was merely curious, and well, you're face is very feminine for a boy." Reika said. "The way you act is very girl-like."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Tamaki interjected.

"Not to mention, you're school file says you're a girl." Reika said, the boys looked at her in shock with wide eyes and gaping mouths. "I barely recognized you with short hair, but in the files it said you're a girl."

"Are you like Kyoya?" Tamaki asked with a scared tone, the idea of a female Kyoya on his mind. "Do you have a file on everyone in this school?"

"What? No." Reika said taken aback, and looking at Kyoya for a minute. "This is the first school I've gone to, I was nervous. So I thought that looking at pictures of people in this school was a good idea. You know, try to find some friendly faces. You just happened to one of the few I looked at." she said looking down, embarrassed.

"You've never been to a school before?" one of the twins asked while the other asked, "How is that possible?"

"No," Reika said, still looking down. "I've been homeschooled all of my life."

"Well," Haruhi said. "I am girl."

"Haruhi!" Tamaki screamed. "Why would you tell her that? We were doing just fine fooling her."

"No, you weren't." Reika and Haruhi said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed in amazement.

"You said you need friends?" Haruhi asked Reika, who nodded. "I'll be your friend."

"Really?" Reika asked.

"Yeah." Haruhi said. "It's not everyday a girl realizes that I'm not a boy."

"Girls see what they want to see." Reika said.

"That's true." Haruhi said laughing. The girls went off talking while the boys looked at each other.

"What now?" Honey asked the others. "She knows Haruhi's secret."

"She looks like she can keep a secret." Kaoru said.

"She's pretty too." Hikaru agreed with brother.

"And if she can't?" Mori asked.

"Don't worry, she will." Kyoya said.

"How do you know?" Kaoru asked.

Kyoya smiled slyly. "Reika," he called her attention. "How would you like to join the Host Club?"

"What?" was the word that was echoed by each Host Club member, and Mori, who just said "Hm?"

"What are you thinking, Mommy?" Tamaki, who was previously watching Reika and Haruhi talk, said shaking his friend.

"Mommy?" Reika asked Haruhi with a confused look, Haruhi just shrugged.

"Why are you asking her to join?" Tamaki asked Kyoya. "We already have one girl dressed as a boy."

"I'm not asking her to join the Host Club as a member, more like a manager-"

From the floor of Music Room #3 a girl emerged. "Did someone say manager?" the girl said. "I'm your manager!" she said angrily.

"Who's that?" Reika asked, frankly, a little scared.

"That's our 'manager', Renge." Hikaru said with an annoyed look.

"Calm down, Renge." Kyoya said with a calm tone. "I wasn't thinking of replacing you."

"Then what did you mean by manager?" she asked him.

"Reika would do what I do. She has already shown us she has a good memory, not to mention, she's resourceful. And, frankly, I could use the help. She would be my assistant."

"Oh, okay." Renge said, but she was still gave Reika a dirty look when she saw Reika with Haruhi. "And don't you dare steal Haruhi from me!" she yelled as she disappeared from the same way she came.

"Doesn't she know you're a girl?" Reika asked Haruhi.

"Nope." Haruhi answered. "Actually, I think she has a crush on me." she said laughing.

In the other side of the room, the boys were having a very different conversation.

"What's the real reason you want Reika to stay?" Kaoru asked Kyoya.

"Could it be that Kyoya-senpai has a crush on a girl?" his brother teased.

"Don't be absurd." Kyoya said with his indifferent look, and fixing his glasses. "I'm simply curious."

"About what, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked.

"She doesn't have a file." he said, looking at the girl beside Haruhi.

"You put our club in danger because she doesn't have a file, so you can't snoop on her?" Tamaki asked his friend, while shaking him again.

"That's a little stalker-ish." Kaoru said to his brother who agreed.

"I thought you might be happy." Kyoya said in his always calm tone trying to persuade his impresionante friend. "Didn't you want Haruhi to have a girl to bound with, one that won't want to date her?"

Tamaki let go of Kyoya. "Nice play, Kyoya. Nice play." he said backing away slowly. He walked away to the side where the girls were talking.

"...and that's why I joined the Host Club." Haruhi finished her story, she and Reika were laughing.

"I guess I should officially welcome you to the Ouran Host Club." Tamaki said to Reika, smiling.

"Wait, she hasn't said yes yet." Hikaru said.

"That's right." his brother agreed.

They all turned to look at her. "So what do you say, Reika? Do you want to join the Ouran Host Club?" Tamaki said holding out his hand to her, the members all lining up behind him.

"I would love to." she said, taking his hand.

While the boys and Haruhi cheered, Kyoya looked at Reika. There is definitely something about her. He thought, his eyes narrowing towards her.


	2. Reika's First Day as a Host Assistant!

**Chapter 2**

_Reika's First Day as a Host Assistant!/The Grade School Host is the Naughty Type!_

* * *

Reika hurried to Music Room #3, not wanting to be late for her first day as a member of the Ouran Host Club. When she opened the door, red rose petals flew out the door as it opened to reveal the members of the Host Club all dressed up in Arabian clothes, setting up for their guests.

"Welcome, Reika Niigata, to your first day as an official Host Club member." Takami said, giving her a flashy smile. "Since Kyoya recruited you, I'll let him tell you what you need to do. Here's your costume."

He handed her a bundle of light clothes. She inspected the clothes and found that her costume was actually a belly-dancer's attire. "I'm not wearing this." she said rejecting the fabric.

"Why not?" Kaoru and Hikaru asked. "I thought you wanted to be a part of the Host Club."

"I do." Reika said. "But I don't want to be part of the wear-see-through and barely-any-fabric club."

"Come on, I'm sure you'll look wonderful in that outfit." they said in union, while giving her devilish looks, that made Reika raise an eyebrow.

"She doesn't have to wear it if she doesn't want to." Haruhi came to her rescue. The twins turned on her.

"Make her wear the costume and we will give you fancy-tuna." they said whispered to her.

Haruhi weighed her options. _On one hand_, she thought. _I want to be a good friend, but there's fancy-tuna._ Her eyes sparkled. Reika can take care of herself, plus she wouldn't look that bad in the belly-dancer costume.

"I'm sure it will look great on you." Haruhi said, giving in. She pushed Reika and the costume to the changing room.

"What?" Reika said shocked, as she was pushed into the room.

"Yes." the twins said, giving each other a high five.

Five minutes passed and Haruhi was starting to regret her decision of betraying her friend for fancy-tuna. She decided to check on Reika.

"Reika?" she asked, knocking on the door. "Are you alright in there?"

"I look ridiculous." Reika said through the door.

"You don't have to wear it if it makes you uncomfortable." Haruhi said, trying to comfort her friend.

"No, it's fine." Reika said reaching for the door handle. "Something tells me that costumes are not going to be a one time thing."

When she opened the door, revealing her outfit, everyone was in stand-still shock. The blue and purple costume looked absolutely amazing on her. Her hair was pulled back by the blue see-through veil on her mouth that accented her dark eyes well.

"You look-you look-" Honey was trying to find the right words to describe it. "So cute!" he said tackling her into a hug. "Wow, Rei-chan, you look really pretty."

"Thank you, Honey-senpai." she said grateful that she didn't look like a complete idiot.

The other boys were still too shocked to speak, and Kyoya was not one of them. "Yes, too bad you will have to change before we open the Host Club." he said with his usual calm and indifferent tone, fixing his glasses and writing things on his clipboard.

"What do you mean she can't wear it? She looks great." Tamaki said, while Reika blushed uneasily.

"I'm not debating that she doesn't look great." Kyoya said, his glasses reflecting the light. "But we can't let her walk round the room like that, our clients will get uncomfortable with a girl like that in our Host Club."

Reika smiled at Kyoya, very thankful for his effort to get her to change clothes. All the boys begrudgingly agreed that it would be a better idea if Reika changed. Kyoya handed her a new costume.

"Thank you, Ootori." she said to him.

"Just Kyoya will do." Kyoya said. "And it was in the benefit of the club."

"I'm thankful either way." Reika said smiling at him before she turned around to change.

The boys and Haruhi had less than a minute before the doors of Music Room #3 opened as their new guest arrived. The little elementary school boy was less than the Host Club's average guest.

Reika heard some of the conversation from the dressing room. Tamaki's over dramatic reaction to the little boy calling him the King, and the boy's request to be Tamaki's little apprentice, to which Tamaki agreed.

She changed a costume that covered most of her body and head, so only her face was showing. The dress she was wearing was rather beautiful for a dress that covered most of her body. She left the changing room just as the Host Club started to do introduction.

"Reika," Honey called to her. "Come meet our new apprentice, Shiro Takaoji. He's an elementary school student."

"Hello." she said smiling at the little boy. "My name is Reika Niigata."

"What is a girl doing in the Host Club?" he asked her.

"I help Kyoya with the Club functions." she said, just as she remembered she still didn't know what she was doing to help. "So what can I do, Kyoya?"

Kyoya gave her a pensive look. "You can start by opening the door and start making tea." he said to her.

"Okay." Reika said, going off into the kitchen.

"Make sure to make some instant coffee, too. It's the Host Club's specialty drink." Tamaki said.

"Instant coffee?" Reika asked confused.

"Yes, it's commoners' coffee, haven't you ever had it?" Honey asked.

"No, I've had it." Reika said.

"Than do you not know how to make?" Honey asked. "It's really simple-"

"I know how to make." Reika said. "But why is it a specialty?"

"Because Haruhi introduced us to it, and it's quite good." Tamaki said, looking at Haruhi with a loving smile.

"Okay, then." Reika said. "I'll go make some."

She didn't come back until later on, when the Host Club had already opened its doors to the many girls of Ouran Academy. Swooning girls in yellow uniforms were everywhere. The club members decided that didn't want to do Arabian Nights today because of their new apprentice, so they had all changes back into regular clothes.

Reika would have been included in the midst of yellow uniform-clad girls, but Kyoya had 'suggested' she should dress in a distinguished dress of a maid, which she complied, begrudgedly.

She was passing out tea and instant coffee when Princess Shiga and her friends noticed her, like many of the other girls had. Every girl in the room was wondering what a girl was doing working with the Host Club, a club for boys.

"Are you in the Host Club now, Rei-chan?" Princess Shiga asked.

"Yes." Reika responded. "I'm helping out Kyoya."

Girls from every side of Reika gave her a jealous look. "So you get to spend your club ours with the seven boys?" Ito asked, politely while inside she was clawing Reika's eyes out.

_Six._ Reika corrected in her mind. Still putting on smile she replied, "Yes."

Girls from every direction demanded what to know what she did to be given that honor. Reika completely missed Tamaki's conversation with Takaoji and his 'mermaid' princess. Reika got out of her entanglement of jealous girls to find Kyoya watching her.

"Do you think it'll get better?" she asked him, knowing fully well that he had been watching the whole thing. The girls were still struggling on top of each other and yelling at a person that wasn't there any more.

"With time." he said closing his book.

There was a clatter of broken china, Kyoya and Reika's attention shifted to where Haruhi, Shiro Takaoji, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki were previously giving a poor attempt to fool Takaoji that Haruhi was not a cross-dresser.

"It's not my fault I dropped it," Shiro Takaoji said. "It's your fault 'cause you were the one that made me take it in the first place."

"Say what?" Haruhi said puzzled.

Kyoya slided next to his friends. "Haruhi, that's another one-hundred-thousand yen." he said slightly amused.

"Hmm?" Haruhi said surprised and defeated.

"Hey, you should make the cross-dresser do all your stupid chores," Shiro Takaoji said.

Kyoya returned to Reika's side, giving her an expectant look. "I'll get the broom." she said rolling her eyes at him.

When Reika returned, all the girls were gone and Shiro Takaoji was in a cage. "Where did that cage come from?" Reika asked Haruhi.

"That's what I want to know." Haruhi replied relieved she wasn't the only one wondering that.

"I'm going to run out of time, please won't you teach me." Takaoji pleaded with Tamaki. Haruhi and Reika looked at each other. "You're a host because you like girls, you like bringing a smile to a girls face. That's why you do it, right?"

Tamaki carefully sipped him tea, listening to the boy. "Please won't you teach me. You're a genius at it. The King." Takaoji said.

Clearly, the words 'The King' and 'Genius' stroked Tamaki's ego, because he stood up with determinate look. "You may be a brat. But I admire your desire to become a Host, so I'll teach you." he said, before his face changed completely. "You know Shiro, you and I are so much a like."

"You poor kid." Haruhi interjected.

By then, Reika wasn't really paying attention, as she started to pick up the pieces of broken china on the floor. She took the big pieces and dropped them in the paper bag, when she was nearly done she cut her finger on the china.

"Shoot," she said looking at the blood on her finger.

"Allow me," Mori said taking a cloth napkin and placing it on her finger to stop the bleeding.

"Thank you, Mori-senpai." Reika said, blushing. He looked into her eyes for a minute while she looked down at the floor and then let go of her finger.

"I trust you can handle yourself from here?" he said standing up.

"Yes." she said brushing the remainder of the broken china into the paper bag and stood up. "Thanks, again." she said leaving the room.

Reika took her time in the trash room and getting herself a band-aid. When she returned she saw Renge giving the boys a lecture on Lolita or Shota types, and Reika decided to take a while doing something else. She was still very afraid of Renge and she could be capable of.

When she came back again a few minutes later, the Host Club and Renge had dressed up Takaoji had bumps and bruises that Reika was sure weren't there before, and they were tripping the poor little boy.

"What going on?" Reika asked no one in particular.

Renge went to Takaoji rescue after he was tripped. "Are you okay, little boy?" she asked with concern which was quickly replaced by the sound of her whistle. "Now give'em your catch phrase."

"No big deal," Takaoji said. "It was nothing."

Renge swooned. "That was perfect!" she said. "Absolutely perfect, Shiro."

"That was outstanding." Tamaki complemented Renge genuinely while clapping. "I never knew you were such a good coach, Renge." Which causes Renge to laugh triumphly.

Shiro Takaoji looked put off. Reika noticed. "I've had enough of you people!" Takaoji screamed. "This is so stupid, none of this is ever gonna help me make her happy."

"Who's her?" Haruhi asked Takaoji, but he didn't listen, he ran out the door.

"Wait, Shiro." Tamaki called after him. "We haven't taught you how to apply the techniques you've learned yet." The door slammed.

"I swear, younger boys are good for nothing." Renge said as she sunk back to whole on the floor. "I went through all that trouble to coach him, and he quit."

"I can't believe he ditched us because he didn't like lesson." Tamaki said. "What a selfish little brat."

Reika face-palmed, _wasn't he paying attention?_ She asked herself.

"There aren't many people who enjoy that type of lesson." Haruhi said to Tamaki. "But never mind that, weren't you listening to what he said?"

Tamaki gave Haruhi a black look. "Hmm?" he asked.

"He said he was going to run out of time, what do you think he means by that?" she asked him. "I think that, maybe, it's a girl." Tamaki looked at the door thoughtfully.

"Did you pick up the shards?" Kyoya asked Reika out of nowehere.

Reika looked at him, snapping out of her thoughts. "Yes." she said.

"Good." he said. "Then you can come along for the plan."

"What plan?" she asked.

"The plan that Tamaki is going to come up with to break into the elementary school." he said smirking.

"And how do you know that?" she asked.

"I just do." he said, motioning for her to follow him. He looked her up and down. "You're too tall to be a middle schooler."

"I should hope so." she said.

It wasn't until later, when Music Room #3 dimmed its lights that she understood what Kyoya meant by his comment of being 'too tall to be a middle schooler'. Now Haruhi and Honey were walking down the hallway of Ouran Elementary School in disguises. Honey was wearing an elementary school uniform, and Haruhi was wearing one of a middle schooler. It was all part of Tamaki's plan.

"Oh, there is a reason. A damn good reason." Tamaki told her when she asked.

"Isn't she the cutest." the twins said.

"Oh, look at her in that miniskirt." Tamaki said from the open crack of the door, he was so red he looked like a blonde tomato. "Haruhi looks like a little doll." he cooed.

"So, basically you just wanted to see her dressed up like that." Kyoya said, with a matter-of-fact tone.

Tamaki started sweating as he realized how perverse his plan was. "Pervert." Reika said smiling to herself.

"I'm not a pervert!" Tamaki over reacted.

Reika just kept on smiling. "Oh, yes you are." she said. "You call yourself her 'daddy', and you enjoy seeing her dressed up like a middle schooler. There is definitely some perviness going on here."

"She's got a point, boss." the twins said.

"Whatever," Tamaki said, opening the door fully. "Let's go find them."

The boys smiled at each other and followed Tamaki out of the room.

"There's nobody here." Haruhi said when the boys and Reika were close to the room.

"So the kids' classroom is empty, is it?" one of the boys said outside.

"This sure takes me back." the twins said entering the room.

"I wonder if doodles are still on my desk." one of the twins said. Reika still wasn't quite sure which twin was which. She was getting close with Haruhi was a big help.

"Doubtful." Kyoya responded. "The school changes out the desks every year."

As the boys kept on with their idle chatter, Reika observed Haruhi getting testy. "Hey," she said. "If you're just gonna barge in here like that, than why did we have to wear these stupid disguises?"

"Payback?" Reika said to Haruhi, who gave Reika a dirty look.

"Don't worry about it." one the twins said. "There's no one here to catch us." the other finished. And just like that, there were footsteps. All of them ducked behind the desks.

"If the teacher finds us." one twin began. "Well have a hard time explaining why we snuck in." the other finished.

"Shh." Haruhi and Reika said together.

"Shut up guys." Haruhi said. "Just keep your lips zipped." she said making the gesture for sealed lips. Reika smiled, when she the twins and Tamaki do the same gesture while blushing.

Reika was closest to the door and she heard the footsteps walking away from the classroom to check. "Okay, we're good." she whispered to them as the teacher kept walking down the other hallway.

"You guys, we came here to get the scoop on Shiro, so what do you think we should do now?" she asked the boys.

Reika pointed to the pictures on the wall where Kyoya and Honey were looking. "Well, here's something interesting." Kyoya said. The rest of the Host Club turned to the pictures on the wall.

"What you'd find?" Haruhi asked Kyoya. He pointed to a picture of Takaoji and a little girl playing the piano. "Hey, that's Shiro."

"So here's in the Classical Music club." Kyoya said.

"It looks like he's enjoying himself." Haruhi said. "It's nice to him with a smile on his face. I had no idea he could look so sweet."

"Yeah." Tamaki agreed.

It was then that Reika's phone chose to ring. "Sorry guys." she said finding her phone and looking at the caller ID. "I've got to take this."

"It's okay," Honey said. "We should probably look for Shiro in the elementary music room."

"Meet us in the Club room later." Kyoya said to her, Reika could see that he was trying to look at the caller ID. But her thumb was pressed against it, like she was trying to erase it.

"Okay." she said staying in the room while the others left.

She opened her phone when they all left and sighed. "Hello, Mother." she said.

"You didn't forget about our little meeting after school, did you?" her mother asked. There were no formalities with that woman, she went straight to the point. When Reika didn't respond, she just kept going. "You know how important this meeting is, you need to learn all there is about our company if you're going to run it some day. Or at least, in your case, marry someone who can. I worked hard on this company to make it what it is today. I'm not going to let you just throw all that away."

"I didn't forget, Mother." Reika said to stop her Mother from talking. The words her mother spoke burned her ears, as she wished she could forget them.

"Great." her mother said and hung up without saying good-bye.

"Bye." Reika said when she closed her phone. "Nice talking to you." she said sarcastically.

What Reika didn't notice was Kyoya listening in to her conversation. He didn't say or think anything when the conversation between Reika and her mother ended, he just left to go find the others.

She was waiting for them when they got back, Tamaki was carrying a struggling Takaoji. He unceremoniously dropped Shiro Takaoji on the couch. After some arguing on both sides, emotions changing from anger to understanding to gratefulness, Tamaki uncovered the piano in the Club room and offered Shiro Takaoji piano lessons to impress his little crush.

Reika leaned back on the couch, letting Tamaki's words sink in as he played the piano with Takaoji. She saw both boys in completely new lights. There was more to Prince Charming than just being charming, and more to the trouble little elementary student.

When Shiro Takaoji had mastered the piano well enough, the Host Club invited Hina Kamishiro to join them in a private recital just for her.

The two little fifth year elementary schoolers played the piano together while the Host Club watched them proud of their accomplishment.

"We did a good thing." Tamaki said to the others.

"He loves with all his heart." Haruhi said to Tamaki. "So I guess that's one more way Shiro takes after you. Huh, senpai."

Tamaki turned around and smiled at her. "Why, yes. I'd say so." he said to her. They stood there, smiling at each other.

Reika, who was standing on the other side of the room, smiled at them before she noticed Kyoya staring at her. With a blink of an eye, he wasn't any more, and Reika was left with the feeling she might have just imagined that moment.

It was later that evening, Kyoya was going over the numbers of the Host Club and Reika, as his assistant, was there as well.

Kyoya was tipping on his computer, Reika was organizing the customers files while trying to catch Kyoya's attention. But her attempts were futile.

She sighed. "How does the Host Club make money?" she asked him.

He kept looking at the computer and for a while it looked like he didn't hear her. "Mercendise of the Host Club, our customers pay top price for it." he said fixing his glasses and looking at her. "Then, there is our priority services as well as our auctions for Host Club memoribilia."

"Wow." she said, impressed. "How much money do you make from it?"

"Here, take a look." he said moving his laptop to her line of sight. Reika's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the numbers. So many zeros.

"Th-that's…" she struggled to find the right words. "Incredible." she said finally. Kyoya looked very pleased with himself. She looked at him. "What you've done, turn a simple Host Club into an empire, it's both amazing and scary."

"Thank you." Kyoya said with his usual calm tone, but there was a bit of a smile in it. "Now, for the reason I need your services." he said reaching into his bag and pulling out a big stack of pictures. "I need you to sort out the blurry pictures and the good ones, for our new spread."

"Okay." Reika said, but she felt a bit disappointed by it, was this what working for Kyoya was going to be like? She was so absorbed into her task of sorting that she almost didn't notice Kyoya packing up his laptop. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I have a family dinner I have to get to." Kyoya said. "I'm sure you will be able to finish your task and lock up." he said tossing her the keys to the room.

She caught them. "Yeah, sure." she said getting back to her sorting. "Good luck with your dinner."

"Thank you," he said taken slightly aback, did she know that family dinners meant dinner with an important business partner? He shook his head, how could she? He gave her one last look then he disappeared out of the doors of Music Room #3.

Reika looked down at her phone, there were several text messages and missed calls from her mother asking where she was. She was supposed to at home right now, getting lectured on the importance of the dinner with the Ootori family a month from now and how she had to carefully lay out her achievements so that she could seem like a fitting wife.

She smiled to herself as she came upon a picture of Kyoya. "Good luck, indeed." she whispered to his picture. "To both of us."


	3. And So She Impressed Him!

**Chapter 3**

_And So She Impressed Him!_

* * *

Getting the pictures sorted was a mind numbing activity, and she was still not late enough for it to be a plausible excuse. Reika sighed and thought about what else she could do to pass the time.

Drumming her fingers on the table she looked from the laptop on her bag to the scanner on the end of the table. A small smile crossed her face as she reached for the pictures she sorted.

Much later that evening, Reika, aided by her maid, successfully sneaked into her room only to turn on the light and be face to face with her mother. Reika's eyes widened and her hand flew to her chest, a tell-tale sign she had just been scared.

"Do you know what time it is?" her mother asked her. Reika sighed, knowing her mother really didn't want an answer. "I'll tell you what time it is, it's late. Far later that we both agreed you would be home."

_You came up with that arrangement and then expected me to follow through with it, without asking my opinion!_ Reika said to herself, she knew her mother definitely wouldn't want to hear that.

"What am I going to do with you, Reika?" her mother asked, throwing her hand in the air. "You are the heiress, reluctant, but still the heiress. I know that taking your brother's position might seem a little unfair, but they're gone now Reika."

Hearing those words felt like a slap. Tears threatened to fall out.

"You have to move on, Reika." her mother said. "They left us in charge of their world and we have to buck up and take responsibility for it." she said starting to leave her room. "I know it's hard, but one day you're going to thank me for it."

Reika waited for her mother to leave before she shut the door and responded. "Like Aunt Mai is going to thank you?" she asked the women behind that the door that would never hear her. Fighting with her mother was useless, she never listened, and she always turned her arguments back to however she was fighting with. She was an excellent business woman, but a terrible mother.

Reika grabbed her pillow to muffle her frustrated screams. She laid in her bed and trying to erase the one sided argument from her mind. She sighed and reached for her laptop to look once again at the project she had been working with before she got home.

**Ten Days Later…**

It was another late evening in Music Room #3, where only Kyoya and Reika remained, once again. The only sound that could be heard was the swing of the pendulum of the grandfather clock. Reika patiently unwrapped the food containers she had gone out and bought while Kyoya inspected her little project.

He was staring at the pages of the book intently as Reika slided over his food and tea. Seeing as it looked like it was going to be a while, Reika got out her own food and drink and sat down.

Just as she opened her box, Kyoya let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't I find me?" he said as he fumed over the pages of the almanac Reika created. It was the first time she had ever heard Kyoya without his calm tone of voice. It was amusing, he really was human after all.

She gave a small chuckle and walked behind him. "I gave you a clue," she said pointing at the words at the bottom.

"It says, 'Kyoya is off getting his favorite treat', but where on earth in that?" he asked her.

"Do you give up?" she asked him.

"Yes, fine. I do." he said. "Just show me where it is."

Reika laughed again. "The answer is right in front of you." she said pointing at the symbol on top of his food container.

"Oh," Kyoya said as he found a little restaurant on the picture of the book and there he was. A photoshopped version of himself leaving his favorite restaurant. He bowed his head in shame, then picking it up again and with his calm look back on his face. "This is going to be too hard for the customers to find. I am sorry Reika, we can't use it."

"No, it's not," Reika said rolling her eyes, and smiling undefeated. "If you bothered to look at your own profile and fun-facts pages you would have known where you were." she flipped through the pages and pointed to the favorite food category.

"How do you know that was my favorite food?" he asked suspiciously.

"I've pick it up every afternoon for the past two weeks, give me a little credit." she said.

Kyoya was silent for a minute, flipping over the almanac. "I'm impressed." he said simply, closing the book. "It's good. It's really good."

"Meaning?" she asked.

"You have just created our newest fundraiser." he said. "Good job, you have exceeded my expectations of you."

"Umm…" she said uncertain that was a compliment. "Thanks?"

"You are very welcome." Kyoya said opening his food container and breathing in the smell of his spicy rolls. "So what are the plans for this almanac?"

"I thought about making one with all the Host Club members," she said, and she could see that Kyoya disagreed and she smiled. "But that wouldn't be quite as profitable."

Kyoya nodded, "Very good." he said.

"So, I think that there should be one for every Host, the twins together, of course." she explained. She knew they both had different personalities and tastes, but they didn't like anyone else knowing that. "And then, we will have a deluxe pack where we have one with all the boys and the history of the Host Club."

He stopped eating a long time ago. _That's brilliant._ He thought to himself. He was staring at her, he knew he was and yet he couldn't stop. _Who are you?_ He asked her in his mind.

Reika was busy talking about it, looking straight ahead, once her eyes turned back to Kyoya his reverted back to his food as he shoved a mouth full of spicy rolls. His eyes started to water as he saw the green paste on the rolls that Reika always made sure to get him.

_Damn her attention to detail!_ He yelled at himself as he reached for his tea without making a scene.

"What do you think?" she asked him.

"That's quite good." he said giving her a toothless smile to hide the fact that his mouth was still burning.

"Are you alright, Kyoya?" she asked him concerned. Never had she seen him give anyone that kind of smile, it looked pained and like he was covering for something.

"I'm perfectly well." he said with the same smile.

"If you don't like my idea you don't have to go through with it." she said offended.

"No, no." he said. "Your idea was good."

"But?"

"There is no but."

"Then why are you smiling like that. It's kind of creepy."

"No reason."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Reika looked from Kyoya to his food. "Did you shove a bunch of spicy rolls down your throat?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed with question

"No, of course not." he lied.

"Sure…" she said unconvinced. "Then eat another."

"I'm not hungry right now." he said eyeing his tea.

"So you won't mind if I take this away." she said taking his tea away. Kyoya licked his lips looking at his tea, contemplating giving in. "Just tell me you that I was right and you can drink your tea."

"I'm perfectly fine." he said, not giving in.

Reika smiled sadistically at him. "You can either admit you mainlined spicy rolls with a very generous portion of wasabi without thinking about it." she said staring straight at him. "Or, I can ask what made you mainline spice rolls without thinking about it."

Kyoya narrowed his eyes at her, thinking either or not he could walk away from this room. But both of them knew that if he did, she would know she was right. On both questions. Which made him pick the easy way out.

"Damn you and your observational skills." he said with a bit of theatrics, he reached for his tea.

Reika stood up smiling taking her empty food containers to the trash outside, giving Kyoya an easy way out. Before she left the through the doors she turned back. "Try milk, it helps more than tea." she advised him, and with that, she was gone.

Kyoya looked at her as she left. There was definitely something about her, something that intrigued him almost as much as when he meet Tamaki. He stood up and went to the kitchen to get himself some milk.

When Reika came back, he was gone, just as she expected him to be. She sighed sitting down and sipping the rest of her soda. She picked at her nails as she waited for him to return.

Once Kyoya had returned to Music Room #3, he was shocked to find Reika skillfully building a house of cards on the table.

"Do you tend to get jaded a lot?" he asked her.

Reika was busy concentrating on her house of cards that once he snuck up behind her, she fell on the construction. Her eyes were wide with embarrassment and surprise. "What was the question again?" she asked him, pushing herself off the table and tried playing it off.

Kyoya fought the urge to laugh, but he couldn't help the smile that crept on his face. "Do you tend to get bored a lot?" he repeated.

"Oh, yes." she said. "A lot."

An idea crossed his mind. "How about we teach you some useful skills then?" he said.

"Really?" she asked. "Like what?"

"I take it you have all the right education on the academics department from your private tutoring and your advanced placement in the latest test scores." he said.

She wasn't even shocked. "Yes, and thank you." she said.

"You are of some sort of fortune, I can tell that by your refinement." he said. Reika didn't answer, she only smiled. "You don't need any pointers in decorum."

"Thank you." she said.

"You excel in observation, memory, technology, and you seem to know what people want before they ask." he said, not to complement her, simply pointing it out. "How are your self-defense skills?"

"I've never considered it." she admitted.

"And your people skills seem to be a little rusty." he pointed out.

"I don't usually talk to people." she said.

"Then we will have to rectify that." he said.

"Why are you doing this, Kyoya." she asked him. "It doesn't seem like you."

"Maybe it is." he said. Reika raised an eyebrow. "We will start tomorrow after Host Club."

They both gathered their things, locking the door behind them, and then going off in opposite directions.

A few days later, Reika and Mori were sparring on the mat that Kyoya had especially brought in so she could train in Music Room #3.

_She's a fast learner._ Mori thought as she dodged his attacks and even made a few attempts at attacks herself. Reika pushed Mori away for a long enough time to try the new move she learned. She spun around, lifting her right leg, and attempting to kick Mori in his diaphragm. The attack failed as he caught her foot and spun her foot along with her whole body.

A normal beginner would have fallen down face first. But, as Mori and Kyoya had come to realize, Reika was not a normal beginner.

She landed crouched down with her right leg held close to her chest and her left extended back. She stared at Mori's feet and smiled as she swung her left leg to hit Mori's. He jumped over it, just like she knew he would, giving her time to stand up and regain some foot in the fight.

They were back to sparing and Kyoya was rapidly losing interest in it. He had his own agenda to fulfill, afterall, and he thought the best way to gain her trust would be to keep Reika distracted. She had a high guard and was very observant, it was very difficult to get secrets out of people like that.

"Reika," he said, getting some of her attention. "May I ask your opinion on something?"

"Sure thing." she said dodging one of Mori's hits that went over her head.

"I was thinking on taking the Host Club on a retreat, what do you think?" he asked.

"I think," she said blocking an attack. "That would be great idea." she said landing a blow to Mori's hands. "Where are you thinking of taking them?"

"As you well know, my family owns quite the industry in medicine." he explained. "We are opening a theme park."

"Cool." Reika said blocking two attacks at once.

"It would be good for the Host Club, we've all worked very hard." Kyoya said. "And the theme park could really use the feedback from guests before it opens."

"Okay, but what about Haruhi?" she asked, giving Mori the signal she needed a break, and went to grab her water bottle.

"What about her?" he asked.

"She doesn't seem like the type of girl that would just drop everything to go to a resort." she explained.

"Oh, I have my ways." he said, his glasses reflecting the light. To normal people, it would have sounded scary, but Mori and Reika were used to Kyoya's sense that he could always get everything he wanted.

"Do you mean kidnapping?" she asked him with a blunt tone.

"It's not kidnapping if I have her father's permission." he said turning away from her and fixing his glasses smartly.

"You talk to her father?" Reika asked shocked and a little weirded out.

"Of course, his daughter is under our care." Kyoya said. "He has the right to be informed."

"Do you talk to all the Hosts' parents." she asked him. What she was really asking though, was: did you talk to my mother?

"Most, yes." he said.

"And you don't find that a bit odd?" she asked him

"Why? It's perfectly normal for a parent want to know what their children are doing." he answered.

"If you say so." she said taking another swing of her water bottle, and draping her towel on her shoulder. "Well, that's enough training for me." she said as she headed out the door. "Thanks again, Mori-senpai."

Mori smiled at her and nodded. Which Reika always took as a 'you're welcome' or 'my pleasure.'

"Bring a bathing suit tomorrow." Kyoya called out after her.

"Don't mind if I don't." she said back to him.

Kyoya frowned, though he didn't quite understand why her answer had upset him so much. Mori looked at him and gave him an all-knowing smile before he too left Music Room #3.


	4. Our Job is Never Done!

**Chapter 4**

_Our Job is Never Done!/ Jungle Pool SOS!_

* * *

The next day, Reika and Kyoya had arranged for all the Host Club members to be excused from classes early without question. Tamaki, Kyoya, Reika were the first to be released from class.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Tamaki said as he sauntered over to the limo.

Reika and Kyoya gave each other amused looks before they too walked to the limo whose door was being held open by the driver.

Tamaki got in, then Reika. Kyoya stopped to talk to the driver before getting in. "We might have to drive around a little before the rest of our passengers arrive." he told the driver.

"Alright, sir." the driver said as Kyoya sat down, and the driver moved to close the door.

It wasn't long until Mori and Honey joined them in the limo. "I'm so excited." Honey said. "Are you excited. Mori-chan?"

"Yes, Mitsukuni." Mori said simply.

"Good." Honey said hugging his bunny closer to himself. "I heard that the Hika-chan and Kao-chan are going to be late because they couldn't find Haru-chan."

"We'll just wait for them, then." Kyoya said before hailing the attention of the driver.

They drove around at least three times before Tamaki pointed out where Hikaru and Kaoru were practically dragging Haruhi out of school.

The limo halted and Tamaki rolled down the window. "Good work." he said to the twins. "Now take her with you."

"Roger." the twins said together as Tamaki rolled the windows backup. The twins laughed evilly as Kaoru opened the limo door and Hikaru tossed Haruhi in.

"Wait, where are we going?" Haruhi asked the only other girl in the car desperately as the car speed off.

"We are taking a well deserved break." Tamaki said before Reika could respond. "Oh, Haruhi, you are going to love it."

"You sure about that?" she asked him, a little ticked off.

The drive was slightly uneasy, there was a lot of silence in the beginning. Honey said something that was apparently funny that got all the guys the laugh, and left to girls to give each other quizzical looks.

At last, they arrived at the theme park. The girls had barely enough time to see it before they were pulled by Hikaru and Kaoru in the direction of a yellow building. They were meet by twin maids in front of the building.

"Here, do what you've got to do." the red haired twins said smiling to their maids.

The maids smiled. "Okay, we'll do what we can." one of them said.

"Ms. Fujioka, Ms. Niigata," the second one said. "Just follow me." she gave the girls a startling look that almost send off both girls running the opposite direction. They both knew what that look meant, it was the same look they got all their lives when another girl offered to give them a makeover.

Haruhi screamed a little. "B-but w-why?" she asked them, while Reika was paralyzed with fear.

They were pulled by the-surprisingly strong-maids into the changing rooms, the door shut and clothes were pulled off.

"Hold on!" Haruhi said shocked.

"What are you doing?!" Reika asked them confused and a little bit angry.

"Hey, stop that!" Haruhi yelled at them, pulling away.

"We've been asked to help you choose a swim suit." one of the maids said.

"We've brought all of our mother's latest designs for you girls to choose from." one of the twins yelled from outside. "Just pick which ever one you want."

There were a lot of swimsuits in that room. Reika and Haruhi looked at each other with wide eyes. Of surprise or fear, neither of them knew.

"Are you ready, Ms. Fujioka?" one of them asked while the other said, "Are you ready, Ms. Niigata?" at the same time. "It's time to pick one." they said in union.

"Thanks, but I don't need a swimsuit." Haruhi said.

"Yeah, I'm okay too." Reika said, smiling uneasily.

The maids separated them.

"Why don't you let me select one for you." said the maid that herded Reika away from Haruhi.

"Um…" Reika said thoughtfully. _How bad could it be?_ She asked herself. _It's just a swimsuit._ "Sure."

"No, not that one." she heard Haruhi yell. "I don't want a bikini!"

"I bet this one would be cute." Reika's maid said showing her a bikini bottom that looked like a fishing net.

"Umh...but that's nothing but a couple of strings." Haruhi said when she saw the red bikini bottom that the one of the maids was showing Reika.

"You and I have a very different idea of cute." Reika said perplexed while looking at the article of clothing.

"Okay, how about this one." one of the maids showed the girls a pink swimsuit with red and white accents and a swim cap with a red flower.

"It's not bad, I guess." Haruhi said. It was far more girly than anything she owned.

"I think it would look good on you." Reika encouraged her friend.

"Really?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah." Reika said. "And it's far better than that." she said putting at the red bikini bottom one of the maids had previously held.

Both girls shuddered. "Okay, I guess I'll take this one." Haruhi said as she and one of the maids helped her change.

"What about you, Ms. Niigata?" the remaining maid said.

"I don't know…" Reika said. "Do you anything less scandalous." she said once again pointing at the red article of 'clothing'.

"I think I have just the thing." the maid said smiling as she dug around the swim suits.

"What do you think?" Haruhi asked as she was now clothed in the pink swim suit.

Reika smiled. "You look great." she said, making her friend smile too.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Haruhi asked.

"No, you go ahead." Reika said.

"Okay." Haruhi said leaving the changing room.

"Here it is, Ms. Niigata." the maid said showing her a purple two piece swimsuit. It wasn't a bikini, it was a tank top with a bikini bottom.

Reika accepted it, with the addition of light beach wrap she found that matched the suit well. The maids helped her do her hair so it was in a braided down over her right shoulder with a tropical flower woven in the beginning of the braid.

She looked herself in the mirror and smiled. The swim suit combined with the wrap around her hips didn't show much skin aside from her her arms, the upper part of her back, a little bit of her lower stomach, and her left leg when she walked.

"Thank you," she said to their maids. The maids high fived each other as Reika left the changing room.

She followed the footpath, along the way she became confused as to where the rest of the Host Cub was. She looked at the fork in the footpath that lead to five different directions, looking at one sign to the other.

"There you are, Rei-chan." Honey said as he, who was mounted on Mori's shoulders, arrived from the one of the paths on Reika's left.

"Hello." Reika said smiling. "Do you know where everyone is?"

"They are at the main pool." Honey said. "This way." he said as Mori walked to the footpath in front of Reika.

She followed them, falling in step with Mori. "Thank you." she said. "This theme park is really big."

"I know," Honey said smiling. "I can't wait to swim, and use my cute new floaty."

"I'm not much of a swimmer." Reika said.

"Really?" Honey asked. "That's too bad. But your swimsuit looks really good on you."

"Um...thanks." she said, the pool area came into view. "Apparently is part of the twin's mother's latest design."

"I love her designs, they are all so pretty." Honey said. "They all look like pastries."

"Yeah," Reika said as the rest of the boys and Haruhi took notice of them.

Tamaki was talking to the twins, trying to convince them of something. As far as Reika could tell. Haruhi was looking at the water, she had changed from her swim suit to a yellow sweat shirt and green plaid shorts.

"Excuse us, Rei-chan." Honey said to her. "We are going swimming, you are welcome to join us."

"No, thanks, Honey-senpai." Reika said smiling at the blonde boy and his tall companion. "You guys go ahead."

She went to go talk to Haruhi. "What happened?" Reika asked Haruhi curiously.

"I'm not sure." Haruhi said sincerely, Reika gave her a confused look. "Tamaki gave me a whole speech about how my swimsuit was inappropriate until marriage, and gave me these." she motioned to her current clothes.

"That's bizarre." Reika said. She knew what Tamaki's gesture meant, and she was in awe, but Haruhi apparently didn't understand. _Best to not burst her bubble._ Reika said to herself.

"I know, he can so weird sometimes." Haruhi said laughing, Reika joined her.

It was finally then that the twins noticed Reika's presence. They both smiled deviously to themselves as they pointed her out to Tamaki.

"Hey boss, are you sure it's okay for Reika to be dressing like that?" Kaoru asked Tamaki.

"Well, yeah." Tamaki said unbothered as he looked at the girls. "She isn't showing all that much skin."

"Sure thing, boss." the twins said defeatedly.

Reika and Haruhi were still laughing together when Kyoya approached them. "There you are, Reika." he said. "I need your help with something."

"Okay, with what?" Reika asked, but Kyoya was already pulling her away from Haruhi.

Reika and Haruhi were used to this, Kyoya out of the blue asking Reika for help. Usually it was botherless tasks. Haruhi and Reika gave each other see-you-later faces as Reika allowed herself to be pulled away by Kyoya.

They finally stopped at a secluded building. "What's up?" Reika asked him patiently, to whatever nonsense he would ask her to do, as they entered the building.

"I need you to talk to the printing guy." Kyoya said, opening the third door in the building, which opened to an office.

"What is this place?" Reika asked him.

"It's the VIP house." Kyoya informed her. "It's for the use of the Ootori family and our special guests, while we are in the theme park."

"Cool." she said impressed.

"Nevermind that," he told her as he navigated her to sit down a chair behind the office table. "I need you to talk to the printing guy."

"Why me?" she asked him. "Why can't you do it?"

"Because every time you ask him to do something, he actually does it well." he explained. "When I ask him, the product always comes back in subpar condition."

"Why not just fire him, then?" she asked him.

"Because even his subpar work is better than most, after you ordered prints they were even better." he said.

"Fine." she said leaning back on the chair and picking up the phone. "Hello, Mr. Nakamura." she said to the man at the other end of the line. What had her attention however, wasn't Mr. Nakamura.

Kyoya was watching her intently, trying to see what about her made Mr. Nakamura work his best. During his intense studying of her every move and word that Reika realized just how tightly her swimsuit top hugged her body, as she struggled to breathe. She shrugged it off and concentrated on talking to Mr. Nakamura.

Ten minutes and many flattering comments from Mr. Nakamura later, Reika ended the call sighing. "I thought we were on vacation." she mumbled with her eyes closed.

"Even if the Host Club is on vacation, Reika, our work is never done." he told her.

"Great." she said giving him an annoyed look.

"It's not like you came here to relax, anyway." he told her.

"And you know that because…?" she asked him, sitting up on her chair.

"I found this," he held up the book she brought. "In the limo."

"Some people find reading relaxing." she told him, standing from her desk.

"And you would be one of them?" he asked, leaning over the desk to better look at her, who was at the opposite side of the desk.

"Yes." she said mirroring his actions. They stared at each other for a few minutes in silence, until Kyoya cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

"We should get back to the others." he said moving away from the table and heading for the door.

"Yeah." she agreed, joining him.

Kyoya locked the door of the VIP house and falling into step with Reika as they both headed back to the main pool.

"It seems you didn't have to bring a swimsuit after all." he commented, breaking the silence.

"Apparently the twins thought ahead." she said.

"It looks…" he said, willing himself to continue while staring straight ahead. "Good, on you. It's a nice color too."

Reika smiled at the compliment, and his flush attitude. "Thank you," she said. "There were some atrocious choices the maids tried to get me to wear." she said, she could practically hear Kyoya trying very hard not to blush. "I guess the twins had something to do with that."

"I told you they can be quite devilish." he said, faking a smile. While inside, he was plotting their deaths. "Atlas, I am glad you were above their influence."

"I guess, but I am still in a swimsuit." she said stopping for a minute and untying her wrap from around her waist. He looked, stopping too. His right eye twitched slightly at the sight of her bare legs. "But at least I found this wrap." she said tying it back up, holding in a giggle.

"Yes, that was smart." he said regaining his composure as they started walking again, and they neared the main pool.

They arrived as the twins started a water gun fight with Tamaki-who was really getting into it.

Reika excused herself from Kyoya and went to talk to Haruhi. "So, what did I miss?" she asked.

"Renge showed up, cosplaying." Haruhi said sipping her drink. "Apparently, Honey felt threatened by Shiro, so he is upping his cute factor."

"Okay." Reika said, like that completely made sense.

They watched Honey play in the current pool, as Mori made their way over to them getting water out of his ears.

"Taking a break, hm?" Haruhi said. "You want something to drink?" she said offering her drink.

"Yeah, thanks." Mori said, taking the drink.

Reika turned her attention to Tamaki and the twins' water gun fight. Somehow, Tamaki managed to slip on a banana peel that was on the floor of the pool, and went head first into one of the totem poles. Whose eyes started to light up in a red, menacing way.

_Wasn't this suppose to be a relaxing place? _Reika asked herself.

Suddenly, all eyes shifted to Honey on the current pool, as they saw a massive wave heading towards him. Once it hit, Honey's cute floaty was in the air, everyone was running to the pool as Honey was swept away.

Haruhi and Mori ran as fast as they could, but Mori slipped on a banana peel.

_What is it with this place and banana peels? _Reika asked herself as she stopped running, and helping Mori up.

"Gentlemen, we are going after Honey-senpai!" Tamaki announced, looking at a near by pool. "That pool look like the quickest way. Charge!"

They all began to run, but Kyoya held on to Reika's arm. "Wait, I wouldn't go-" he was cut off by the rising alligators. Reika gave Kyoya a grateful look.

The boys and Haruhi all ran back. "There are alligators in there!" they said.

"Okay!" Tamaki announced again. "So we can't use that pool. Then lets try this one next." he pointed to side.

"They're here too!" the twins said, trying to avoid the alligators.

"And here." Haruhi said, looking at the alligator she almost stepped on. "What's with all the alligators?" Haruhi asked.

"Beats me." Tamaki said.

Kyoya was calmly leaning against a palm tree, writing in his notebook. "Those alligators belong to the park's tropical animals exhibit." he said. "I guess it is kind of dangerous to let them run wild, though the cause of our present situation seems to be the location for the current pool. I'll have to have a chat with our designers." he said closing his notebook and flashing his friends a smile. "Thanks a lot, you guys. I got some great data today."

"You what?" they all said outraged, except for Mori, who didn't speak at all.

"This is was the theme parks first trial run." Kyoya explained. They gave him death looks. "What? Reika knew, it wasn't just me who thought this was a good idea."

"You let him make guinea pigs out of us?" the twins asked her.

"I thought the theme park had been vetted before." Reika said in her defense.

"A little tip," Tamaki said to her. "Always get to know every detail of Kyoya's plan before you agree with it."

"Sorry, next time." Reika said. "But now we should really find a map and figure out where Honey-senpai could have ended up."

They moved to the map of the theme park, where Kyoya explained where they were and were he thought Honey might be. The map had a lot of undeveloped areas with unknown types of animals or possible dangers that even Kyoya didn't know.

They walked into a forest, that reminded Reika of the time her family visited the Amazon forest while on one of their inspection of their Brazilian divisions.

"Wow, this place is just like a real jungle, hm." Tamaki commented, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, and I keep hearing all of these strange animal calls." Haruhi said.

"You don't think all of those animal sounds," one twin began. "Could be the real thing, do you?" the other finished.

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Kyoya said. "But I do know that my family always strives for authenticity, whatever the cost."

They went back to walking in silence, until Mori slipped on another banana peel.

"What is it with this place and banana peels." Reika murmured to herself.

"Mori-senpai is," one twin began, "Acting as clumsy as you do boss." the other finished, getting a very funny reaction out of Tamaki.

"Shut up." Tamaki said to the twins.

Mori sat up just as the lights dimmed and the sounds of a storm began to come towards them. Kyoya looked at his watch.

"Uh-oh," Kyoya said. "It's about time for the squall."

"Hmm?" the twins said confused as they looked up.

"You mean it's going to rain?" Reika asked him.

"Yes." Kyoya said.

"Is there a off switch for that somewhere?" she asked him.

He tossed her the keys to the VIP house. "The control center is in the basement, you know how to get there?"

"Yeah," she said. "Find them some shelter until I turn it off."

"There is a traditional tropical house near by, I'll lead them there." he said.

"Good." she replied, taking off her wrap and offering it to him. "Take this, keep it dry for me."

"Sure." he said, though he was trying to look anywhere but at her.

"Thanks, it shouldn't be long." she said putting the key ring around her finger before she took off running.

She ran through the forest, avoiding banana peels and branches as the rain started to pour more and more. She got a little lost when it came to finding the house, when she did find the house she tried her best not to soak the house.

When Reika got to the basement, she saw panels and panels of switches, levers, and buttons. She sighed as she sat down on the black computer desk and slid her way over to the controls.

"Of course this won't be simple." she said to herself as she found the controls of the tropical forest, and found the switch labeled 'Rain'.

She ran back to the forest and found the structure that her friends were waiting. It was still raining a little from the water was still in the pipes.

"Got it." she said to Kyoya as she twisted the water out of her braid. She was going to give Kyoya back his keys, but he was busy on the phone. She found her wrap on the railing and wrapped it over shoulders for warmth and to dry herself a little.

"Where are Haruhi and Mori-senpai?" she asked the twins who were harassing Tamaki.

"What?" they said stopping their teasing.

Reika, Tamaki, and the twins looked around for Haruhi and Mori concerned. Kyoya got off his phone.

"My family's private police force is going to send in a search and rescue team to help us. They are better equipped to find Honey-senpai than we are. So lets just go back to the gate and wait there." Kyoya said looking around. "Hey, where are Mori and Haruhi?"

"That's what I would like to know." Reika said. "Are you sure you didn't lose them when you came here?"

"No, we all here." Tamaki said. "Where could they have gone?"

"They are probably looking for Honey-senpai." the twins said, unbothered.

"What?" Tamaki said grabbing on to both their shirts. "You mean my little girl is all alone in this dark and creepy forest with no one to help her?!"

"She isn't alone, she has Mori-senpai to help her." Reika tried to reassure him, even though his reference to Haruhi-a girl he clearly liked-as his daughter was very creepy. "He'll keep her safe, let's go to the gate and wait for the search and rescue team."

"Okay, you're right." Tamaki said, cooling down a little.

Together they started walking back when Kyoya fell into step with Reika.

"Here are your keys back." she said handing him back the VIP house keys.

"Thank you for shutting it down." he said.

"No problem." she said.

"You ran in the rain, you must be cold." he said. "When we get back you should take a warm shower to prevent getting sick."

"I'll be okay." she said, smiling at his concern.

The twins who were behind them, hearing everything, gave each other shocked looks that soon morphed into devilish ones. They all continued to walk in silence.

"You know," Kyoya said, suddenly stopping and looking back. "I don't think I mentioned to them that there were other visitors here."

"What!" Reika's eyes widened at his words. "You didn't tell them, what about Haruhi and Mori-senpai."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Kyoya said, waving it off.

"Did you tell them that you were looking for a small boy?" she asked him.

"Yes." he said.

"Did you think of telling them that Honey has blonde hair?"

"No."

"Then what makes you think they won't mistake Haruhi for a small boy and Mori as the perpetrator?"

"Reika, please. What are the odds of that?"

"Fine, but if it does happen, I get to tell you I told you so." Reika said.

"Okay." Kyoya said as they started walking again.

"What were you guys talking about?" Tamaki asked.

"Kyoya didn't mention there were other visitors here, so I told him that they could mistake who Mori-senpai and Haruhi really are." Reika explained.

Tamaki started shaking Kyoya. "You didn't tell them that Haruhi was out there, they could hurt her." he said with a crazy looks in his eyes.

"And Mori-senpai, don't forget about him." the twins said.

"We have to go find her!" Takami announced before running back into the forest.

"Them!" the twins corrected him as they started following Tamaki.

Reika and Kyoya looked at each other and shrugged, following them.

They heard fighting noises. "This way!" Tamaki said.

When they reached Haruhi and Mori, Honey was also with them along with the search and rescue team all unconscious.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki screamed joyfully. "Haruhi, are you alright?"

"Hey, it's Tama-chan!" Honey said happily.

"Oh, wow." Hikaru said to Honey. "Are you okay senpai?"

They were interrupted by a frantic Tamaki who was crying and running towards Haruhi. "Haruhi!" Tamaki said before he hugged her from behind. "I was so worried."

The twins poked the unconscious search and rescue men. "I'm not sure what happened here. But at least they're still alive." Kaoru said.

"It's pretty impressive that this is Honey-senpai's work." Hikaru said. "He must have really been holding back."

"Hmm?" Haruhi said confused, as she pinched Tamaki in the hand causing him to let go of her. "What do you mean holding back?"

"So then," Hikaru began. "You don't know about Honey-senpai?" Kaoru finished, as the boys launched into the history of Honey's family and martial arts ability, as well as Mori's.

"So how were you able to find us, Honey-senpai?" Hikaru asked.

"It wasn't hard," Honey said. "It didn't take me long to reach the end of the current pool so I decide to go looking for you guys."

"We humbly apologize." one of the men in the Ootori's secret police said. As they regained consciousness they began bowing to Honey and offering their sincere apologies.

After Honey dismissed his fans, also known as the secret policemen that he beat up, he turned to Mori.

"We should go the beach nearby." Honey suggested to the others in his usual optimistic tone.

"That's a great idea." the twins agreed.

"Why not?" Haruhi said as Tamaki quickly agreed too.

They walked out of the forest and into the main area, Reika was just behind Haruhi when she was pulled aside by Kyoya.

"Aren't we going to the beach?" she asked him. Making everyone turn to look at them.

"Not until we get you out of those wet clothes." he said, starting to pull her to the VIP house.

"'We'?" the twins said to each with suggestion in their eyes. Tamaki looked outraged and the rest simply ignored.

"That's not what I meant." Kyoya said in his normal tone as he stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked up.

"Then what did you mean?" Tamaki asked pointing fingers. Everyone knew how he was with unexpected changes to his 'family' dynamic.

"Simply that she will catch a cold in her wet clothes and she needs a warm shower to prevent that." Kyoya answered as he continued to pull her.

"I still don't understand," Kaoru started. "Why she would need your help." Hikaru finished. "She's capable of taking a shower by herself." they said together.

Kyoya stopped again, pondering something. "That's true," he said. He handed Reika his keys again. "Don't forget to lock up, I will have one of the employees leave you some clothes."

"Thanks." she said, turning away from the rest of them. They started walking away too. Then Reika stopped. "One more thing." she said remembering.

"What?" Kyoya asked turning around as the others did too.

"I told you so!" she said walked up to him and poked the tip of his nose gently.

Kyoya gave her a shocked expression as the twins and Tamaki laughed. Haruhi, Honey, and Mori just looked at each other, wondering what they missed.

Reika laughed to herself as she walked away.


	5. The Awkward Trial Run!

**Chapter Five**

_The Awkward Trial Run!/The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club!_

* * *

It was an hour or so before dinner. Everyone was doing something. Haruhi was with the twins, she was still mad at Tamaki for being mad at her. Mori and Honey were off playing in the sand, or something like that. Kyoya was sending apologetic flowers to the Club's clients. Tamaki was sulking in a dark room. Which left Reika by herself, she could have chosen anyone to hang out with, but they all their own problems to figure out.

She was exploring the Ootori Beach Villa, absentmindedly trying to sort out all that happened that day. She was nearing the dining hall when something, someone, snatched her from the hallway and into the dark room.

It was hard to see, though it was impossible to mistake who the tall boy with glasses was. "Kyoya, what's going on?" she asked him.

"Shh, I'm trying something." he said. "Are you okay with that?"

Reika shrugged, it wasn't the first time he tried something on her before he showed it to anyone else. New Host Club products, strategic plans, even spyware. She was used to it.

"Sure." she said.

"Good." he said simply before pushing her against the wall and pinned her wrists with his hands above her head.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock. "Woah." she said, a little bit dazed. "That's different."

"Was that scary?" he asked her leaning close to her so he could see her reaction.

"More like surprising." she said trying to recompose herself, thankfully, it was too dark to see her blush. "What are you trying to do-?"

The question died away once he rapidly threw her on his bed and straddled her, still holding her hands away from her, only this time his absent minded fingers intertwined in with her's.

"How about now?" he asked.

"Kyoya, what are you trying to do?" she asked trying to understand and down play how nervous she was feeling.

"Scare a girl into noticing how defenseless she really is." he explained, leaning away from her face.

The pieces all fell into place, and Reika understood what he was trying to prove to Haruhi that she can't always protect herself. Though she was slightly concerned about her friend, she knew this was necessary. Something in her relaxed, but also got a whole lot more nervous.

"Why didn't you just say that." she said her body visibly relaxed.

"I needed authenticity of your emotions and expressions." he said.

She rolled her eyes at him. "So you're just going to throw her into bed and straddle her?" she asked.

"I think, from your reaction, it was more successful than the wall." he said even toned.

"It was, and it's also more in-character with you." she said with the same tone he used. "But I don't think, this," she said moving their intertwined finger. "Qualifies as scary."

"Right," he said letting go of her hands and placing them on the mattress.

"Now that I'm in on this, we can do this right." she said sitting up a little and resting her weight on her elbows. "How scary do you want it to be?"

"The most amount of bark, with the least amount of bite." he said.

"Alright, let's start this over." she said. She sitting up completely, waiting for him to get off her. He was taken aback by their closeness so it took him a while to get the hint.

"Okay, what now?" he asked once they were both standing.

"How are you planning for her to come here?" she asked. "I hope you don't plan on grabbing her like you grabbed me."

"Don't be ridiculous." he said. "I have a plan to get her running into the bathroom."

"Good." she said. "And then?"

"She will apologize and I will tell her how much money I spent on rectifying the situation." he said, it was strange for him, to tell people his plans. "She will offer to pay me back."

"What words are you going to use?" she asked.

"You can pay me with your body." he said.

Reika's face changed, to amused and she started to laugh. "I hope you have a very good conviction face, because that sounds so funny coming from you." she said trying to hide her laughter. She recomposed herself.

Kyoya didn't like the teasing he was getting from his assistant. He decided to show her just how good his conviction face could be. His left hand leaned against the wall as he closed the distance between them. Reika involuntarily shrunk back into the wall as an ill-conceived idea that it would help.

"You can pay me with your body." he said in a low and huskily tone of voice.

Reika's eyes widened as she felt shivers go up her spine. "Then?" she squeaked, trying to cover up the situation, but it just made Kyoya smirk at her as he pushed himself off the wall so they could continue to go over his plan.

"I will grab her wrists and throw her onto my bed." he said.

"Okay, show me." she said. He looked at her, wondering if she was serious. "Come on."

He grabbed her wrists like before and threw her onto the bed. He straddled her, looking down to see her reaction.

Even though she knew it was coming, she was still shocked. She breathed in deeply, her chest rising and falling. "And then what?" she asked.

"She'll scream." he said.

"You don't know that." she said, her looked shifted into concern, as she tried to raise her self onto her elbows again but his hold on her wrists kept her down. "If she does scream and the boys come to rescue her, they'll get the wrong idea."

"That's why I have you." he said. "You know exactly what I'm planning."

"I could stop you." she said.

"You won't." he said.

She tried to move her wrist again and he still didn't let her. She moved herself as best she could to be face to face with him. "What makes you so sure?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"I know you." he said.

"No, you don't." she said shaking her head slightly, teasing him. "Not like everyone else you know, and it's driving you crazy."

"Why would it?"

"Because you're a control-freak."

"And you're not?"

"Oh, I am. I never get into a situation I can't get myself out of."

"Even this one?"

"Yes."

"How?" Kyoya gave her a smirk, challenging her.

She laid back on the bed with a smile on her face. "You left my hips free, that was a bad idea." she said, wiggling her hips. She folded her right leg, so her knee was in between them. "I can can kick you here." she stopped just between his legs. "Or here." her knee was just above his kidney before she brought it back down to the bed. "When adrenaline is an unpredictable force, just imagine the damage I could cause, it would be more than enough to be set free."

"And if I did this?" he said, sitting on her hips, putting most of his weight on his bent legs, there was no gap between them.

"I could still get out." she said.

"Try," he challenged her. She struggled, tried her wrist, and she couldn't move. Something inside her told her to run-scream even-but she just laid back down, staring straight at him. "Are you scared now?" he asked smiling.

"Should I be?" she asked him raising an eyebrow, bringing her face as closer to his with every syllable.

He chose not to answer that question. "Now that I've got you pinned down." he said, smiling at his joke, she gave him a sour smile at his change of subject. "Who are you?"

Just as Reika was about to come up with a witty retort, the door of Kyoya's room opened. "Mommy, it's time for dinner." Tamaki said cheerfully, the light of the hallway illuminated their faces. Tamaki's smile faded into pure bewilderment. His eyes were wide and his jaw was on the floor, his mind couldn't even process what he was seeing.

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you!" Kyoya and Reika said simultaneously with animosity in their eyes that could actually kill.

Tamaki couldn't run from the room fast enough, and he was smart enough to close the door behind him as he fled.

"What's wrong Tama-chan?" Honey asked, he and Mori had just returned from the beach.

"So many things." Tamaki said rocking himself in a corner with his feet. "So many things." he echoed again and again.

Honey and Mori just looked at each other and shrugged, walking away to the dining room.

Meanwhile, back in Kyoya's room, Kyoya was awkwardly getting off of Reika and the bed. They couldn't bare looking at each other without feeling awkward. The awkward feeling remained for about a minute or two more before Kyoya decided to speak.

"We should probably go." He said, his normal voice returning.

"Yeah." Reika said getting off the bed and fixing her hair after being thrown around. They stood side by side, staring at the door they knew they had to cross at some point. "I hope I was able to help you."

"You were," he said, looking at her. The awkwardness of the room fading away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." she said looking back at him and smiling. She walked towards the door and left the room with Kyoya right behind her.

A few feet away, Haruhi and the twins rounded corner, watching Reika and Kyoya exit his room.

"What was Reika-senpai doing in Kyoya-senpai's room?" Kaoru asked his companions.

"He was probably going over more Host Club merchandise with her." Haruhi said. "She is his assistant."

"That's true." Hikaru said. "I've never seen him spend that much time with a girl unless it was for business."

"Maybe they're secretly dating." Kaoru said shrugging.

"What?" his brother said amused. "Could you imagine Kyoya-senpai with a girlfriend?"

The twins and Haruhi laughed together at the thought of Kyoya and Reika in a romantic relationship together, all the way into the dining room.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Honey asked with a smile.

"The idea of Reika-senpai and Kyoya-senpai in a romantic relationship." Hikaru said.

Everyone laughed along, except for Tamaki, who felt torn between telling his friends what he saw only minutes ago, or his life. Unlucky for him, Kyoya knew his friend all too well.

"That's ridiculous. Isn't it, Tamaki?" he said smiling, giving his friend his best I-am-going-to-kill-you-if-you-don't-agree-with-me internal look.

"Yeah," Tamaki laughed uneasy. "It's impossible."

Kyoya beamed with self-accomplishment, while Reika felt a little bad about putting the fear of God into Tamaki for witnessing their little trial run.

"Well," Honey said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's eat, the crab looks great."

Everyone agreed and dug in, some more than others-Haruhi. Before she was even done, she managed to piss off Tamaki enough into leaving the dinner table without finishing his dinner.

"Kyoya, would you show me to my room, please?" Tamaki said leaving the dining room.

"No problem," Kyoya said wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Well, excuse me everyone." he said leaving and giving Reika his best, it's-on look. Reika gave him a reassuring smile, though she had no idea what was going to happen next, she was looking forward to it.

"Maybe he's right." Haruhi said, putting down her crab leg. "Maybe I do need to learn a way to protect yourself."

"So that's it. He got to you, huh." the twins said in their usual unity.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt you learn martial arts or something." Hikaru said. "Even Reika trains with Mori-senpai and Kyoya-senpai."

"But it's not like we are going to force you to learn it." Kaoru said.

"Besides, that's not the real issue here." the twins finished together. Haruhi gave the twins a confused look.

"To be honest, we were all a little worried about how recklessly you acted." Hikaru said.

"What do you mean?" Haruhi asked. "I didn't cause you guys any trouble, or anything."

The twins sighed. "That's not true, Haru-chan." Honey said. "I think you should apologize. 'Kay?" he asked with his sweet smile. "You made us all worry, especially Tama-chan. I think you should apologize to him the most."

"So you were worried about me?" Haruhi asked. "But why?"

Everyone sighed, except for Mori who just kept eating undisturbed.

"You're hopeless." the twins said.

"You think?" Haruhi said aspirated.

"You are our friend, Haruhi." Reika said. "Of course we are going to worry about you. Just like you would if any of us were in trouble."

"You're right," Haruhi said sighing. "Guys, I'm really sorry."

The twins and Honey hugged Haruhi, and Reika joined them. Mori was still too busy with his food. Suddenly, mid-hug, Haruhi started to look very sick. Reika's eyes widened as she ushered Haruhi to the nearest bathroom, which, of course, just happened to be Kyoya's room.

Once she shut the door she realized what she had done, and was once again, impressed with Kyoya's plans. She touched her forehead to the closed door and laughed softly to herself.

The rest of the boys came out of the dining room giving Reika concerned looks. "She's going to be a while." Reika said as she let go of the door, and rubbing her hands together. "Let's try to salvage this meal while Haruhi cleans herself up."

Mori, more than others, agreed with her. They all returned to the dining room and Reika hoped that Kyoya was wrong about the end of his plan. She wasn't worried though, Haruhi was a smart girl, she was sure to figure out what Kyoya was doing.

About fifteen minutes later, Reika was in the kitchen looking for something to eat. The servants had all left when they served dessert ten minutes ago. She was alone in the dark kitchen looking into the fridge.

Kyoya had just left Tamaki with Haruhi in his room, and felt that they would be there a while. In the dining room the rest of the Host Club boys were enjoying their dessert. He headed into the kitchen, hoping to find some quiet and a water bottle.

He found Reika instead, her head sticking into the fridge as she pulled out a soda can, oblivious to his entrance.

"Didn't you just eat dinner?" he asked her, making her jump as she roughly slammed the fridge door.

"Jeez, Kyoya." she said one hand hugging the soda to her chest and the other on her forehead as she sighed. "Don't sneak up on people."

"Why?" he asked amused. "Your reaction is always so amusing."

"I'm glad I could entertain you," she said sarcastically as she put the soda on the counter and sat down. "Are you joining me?"

Kyoya nodded, sitting on the stool opposite hers on the counter. "I didn't eat much of my dinner, what's your excuse?"

"Seeing crab shoot back up your best friend's mouth makes you regret their taste." she said shivering.

He smiled. "Yes, sorry about that." he said, standing up and getting a water bottle. "But good job leading her to the my room." he set his water bottle on the table before producing an ice cream tub from the freezer. He presented it to Reika, who nodded.

"I confess, that was completely unplanned." she said finding spoons on the first drawer she looked. She gave one to Kyoya as he opened the ice cream carton. "Otherwise I would not have let you go through with your plan."

He rolled his eyes at her, thankful she couldn't see it. "It would've happened one way or another." he said before eating the first spoonful.

"So you're saying I was useless?" she asked him, licking her spoon, baiting him.

"Not entirely, I would have needed your help if Haruhi had screamed." he said.

"I'm glad she figured it out."

"How do you know she did?"

"She didn't scream, you didn't need to explain anything to anyone."

"I think I might have to explain some things to Tamaki."

"Why? Did he catch you? Again." she asked, teasing.

"Yes." he replied. "I just hope he doesn't think I'm luring girls into my room."

"You kind of are." she told him, recalling him pulling her into his room and his plan to get Haruhi to his room.

"But I don't do anything to them." he said.

"No, you just throw them onto your bed and straddle them." she said cheekily. "Twice on my case."

"And while other men might take advantage of that moment, I didn't." he said.

"So no part of you thought about the possibility of Haruhi taking up on your offer to 'pay you back with her body.'" Reika asked him, ice cream forgotten as she subconsciously leaned closer to him. She looked him up and down. "You are, for all intents and purposes, a good guy all around. How did you know she didn't have crush on you? Better yet, how did you know I didn't have a crush on you?"

Kyoya had stopped eating long before Reika's leaning blocked his way to the ice cream carton. He was staring at her, listening to her words, intently. He didn't even notice the ice cream on his spoon melting, seconds away from dripping on his shirt.

"We have the same homeroom, we work together, and we spend quite a lot of time in that room. Alone. With no one to interrupt us." she kept her voice serious, but both of them knew she was just teasing him, seeing how far he could take.

He was so shocked by the actual truth in her words that he froze, not knowing what to say. That is, until the ice cream started to drip. With only a few cold drops, Kyoya jumped like a cat and the entire spoon of ice cream fell on his shirt.

"Shoot," he said getting off his stool, his thoughts slightly off. "This is going to stain."

Reika was too busy covering up her giggles with her hands to truly appreciate what was going on. Kyoya took of his shirt and started to run water on the ice cream spills, still thinking ice cream could stain. When her giggles stopped she was shocked at the sight of her 'boss' without a shirt. This is Kyoya we are talking about, he never takes off his shirt. Not at the theme park, not at the beach.

When he was done getting ice cream off of his shirt he turned off the faucet. "Reika, can you go into my room and get me another shirt?" he asked her, she didn't respond. "Reika?" he asked again, turning around and finding her staring at him. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Reika said shaking her decorum back into place as she jumped off her stool. "I just never seen you without a shirt, that's all."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed, confusedly. "Why are you being so honest?" he asked her.

"Because you asked me a question," she said. "Why? Did you want me to lie?"

"No." he said. "It's just weird."

"Okay, well, I'll go get you that shirt." she said leaving the kitchen with Kyoya staring after her.

"Before you go," he said to her, looking down trying not to blush. "Your thoughts?"

"Not bad, boss." she told him biting her lip and looking him up and down, trying to keep a confident facade. She kicked the kitchen door open. "Not bad at all." she added as she backed away from the room.

Kyoya smiled to himself, pleased, as he returned his attention to his shirt.

Reika walked out of the kitchen the same time the twins walked out of the dining room.

"Hey, Reika-senpai." they said.

"Hi, guys." she said.

"Have you seen Kyoya-senpai?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen." she said. "I have to go get him another shirt."

"What happened to his shirt?" the twins asked looking at each other.

"Just an accident with the ice cream." she said.

"Were you guys trying to make ice cream as a new product for the Host Club?" Hikaru asked confused.

"No," Reika said. "We were just eating it, talking a little. We do more than just talk about work, you know."

"Really?" the twins said surprised. "What do you guys talk about?"

"You know, this and that." she said shrugging. "Normal stuff."

"So you're like his girlfriend?" Kaoru asked.

"No, why would I be his girlfriend?" she said. "Guys and girls can be friends too, you know. Like you guys are with Haruhi."

"I guess." they said together, pensively.

"I just never seen Kyoya-senpai talk to an actual girl unless it was about Host Club business." Kaoru said.

"What are you guys talking about? He talks to Haruhi all the time." she said.

"Yeah, but he's usually either explaining things to her or teasing her about her debt." Hikaru said.

"And that counts as Host Club business." they said together.

"Maybe, I don't know." she said shrugging again. "He's not a bad guy once you get to know him."

"Do you have a crush on him?" the twins inquired with their devilish looks.

Reika was surprised at the question at first, but quickly got over it. "My dear twins, I know you love to cause chaos in every awake, which is why I refuse to answer your question." she said in diplomacy mode, patting them both on the back. "I, however, need to get Kyoya that shirt."

"No need." Kyoya said as he was exiting the kitchen. "I was able to dry it while you were out here."

"Oh, good." she said. "Then why did you ask me to go get you a shirt if you know you could dry it?"

"I wasn't going to dry it at first, but then I remembered that Tamaki and Haruhi were using my room." Kyoya said. "Best not to interrupt them."

"Why are they doing in your room?" the twins asked.

"Hopefully, Haruhi is apologizing to Tamaki." Kyoya said.

"That's good." the twins said.

"We should check on them in a few minutes," Kyoya said looking at his watch. "Make sure they actually apologized and didn't kill each other."

"How about a card game?" Reika suggested.

"Yes, we should ask Honey and Mori to play with us." Kyoya said as they all re-entered the dining room to play cards.

After two long games that the twins won, it was nearly eleven o'clock and the twins were getting antsy over what happened to their friends.

"Are you sure it's a good idea," one twin began. "To leave the two of them alone?" the other finished.

"She's with our prince, Tamaki." Kyoya said. "What could possibly go wrong."

All the remaining Host Club members looked at each other, and then, calmly stood up and rushed to check on Tamaki and Haruhi.

"Hey boss," the twins said as they knocked and opened the door to Kyoya's room. "We're coming in."

They were treated to the sight of Haruhi and Tamaki both seated on the floor, Haruhi had on a blindfold and Tamaki was in front of her, oblivious to the rest of the Host Club.

"With the blindfold you can't to see anything, and then the earplugs help muffle any sound." Tamaki said, which was very strange to the people at the bedroom door.

"Wow, yeah." Haruhi said. "You're right."

"You nasty pervert." Kaoru said, making Tamaki look back in shock because he really didn't realize he had an audience.

"What kind of foreplay is that?" Hikaru asked.

Tamaki was in shock, the poor boy couldn't even explain it properly. "It's not like that! It's not what you think!" he screamed. "We didn't do anything, not like those two did!" he pointed at Reika and Kyoya.

Kyoya and Reika's eyes shifted slightly to look at each other, trying very hard to not panic and not kill Tamaki. They both thanked the fact they were both on the back of the group.

"Oh, please." the twins said.

"What could the two of them had possibly done?" Hikaru said.

"They were probably doing something for the Host Club." Kaoru said. Reika and Kyoya both shrugged at each other, it was basically what they were doing.

"No, but they were-" Tamaki tried to explain it with his hands, but it just made everyone even more confused. "Him and her were-"

"What's going?" Haruhi interrupted him. "Tamaki, can take these things out?"

The twins helped get Haruhi get her two missing sense back. "Come on, Haruhi." they said. "Let's get you away from this S&M pervert."

They started to take Haruhi out into the hallway. "I'm not an S&M pervert!" he said trying to follow them.

"What's S&M?" Haruhi asked the twins.

At breakfast the misunderstanding was settled, after Haruhi explained that Tamaki was just trying to help her. She explained to everyone except Tamaki, whom everyone enjoyed tormenting. It was fitting revenge in Kyoya's book, for his friend talking about him and Reika.

It was a good end for their beach day.

Until Reika started sneezing on the trip back home.


	6. The Sick Day In!

**CHAPTER 6**

_The Sick Day In!/A Challenge from Lobelia Girls' Academy!_

* * *

The one day that Reika had gotten sick, was the one day they needed her the most. At least it was, according to Tamaki.

Reika was lying in bed, comforter clutched tightly to her body and with every sneeze and cough the comforter was clutched tighter still. Hundreds of used tissues littered the floor that the maids hadn't bothered to clean yet because it would be filled again an hour later.

To say that Reika was feeling bad, would be an understatement. She had a pounding headache along to match her sore throat that made her cough every five minutes, and sneezing that made her headache all the more annoying.

She didn't know if it was night or day when he called her. All she knew by the time that she heard his voice on the other end was that she should not have answered her phone.

"Reika this is an emergency, you have to come to the Host Club!" Tamaki said to her over the phone.

"I can't," she said sneezing. "I'm sick."

"But you have to prevent Haruhi from leaving the Host Club!" he insisted.

"Why would she leave the Host Club?" she asked though she really didn't care at the moment.

"It all started when the Lobelia girls came into Music Room #3, they are kind of like us but…" Tamaki jumped into his retelling of the Lobelia girls and how they wanted Haruhi to join them. Reika had fallen asleep before he even finished his sentence. "...so take some aspirins and get over here!" he finished.

"Ahhh!" Reika woke up startled.

"Reika, did you fall asleep?" he asked her.

"No," was Reika's initial response but she sighed. "Yes. Look Tamaki, I'm really tired. I'm sure you and the Host Club can handle this. Haruhi is not leaving you."

"Who said anything about my little girl leaving me?!" he asked her with a bit more crazy in his voice than usual.

"Tamaki, Haruhi is not your little girl!" she said, a little fed up. "I know you have a hard time dealing with the fact that you are attracted to Haruhi, and you control your emotions by pretending you feel fatherly love towards instead of real love. So just tell her, and let me be sick in peace!"

"You are clearly sick if you think that a father's love is anything more than that. Truly sick, Reika Niigata!" Tamaki said angry and Reika sighed defeatedly, then his tone changed. "I hope you get better soon."

"Thank you." she said, about to hang up the phone.

"Get here as soon as you can!" he said to her. "We need you!"

Reika sighed one last time and hung up the phone, falling asleep instantly. But even in her dreams she could not escape Tamaki's words, they echoed in her dreams. She woke up with her hand on her phone as she dialed Kyoya's number.

"Ah, Reika." he greeted her. "Feeling better I hope. I would send you one of the Ootori special cold medication, but I don't know your address."

She rolled her eyes. "What can I say? My family values its privacy." she said.

"I know, it's not even on your school file." he said. Most people would be taken aback by that, found it creepy. To Reika and Kyoya, however, this was fun.

She smiled, shaking her head. "That's not why I called though, Tamaki said something about Haruhi quitting the Host Club?" she asked.

"Not quitting, leaving."

"Well, how come?"

"The Lobelia girls have taken an interest in Haruhi and demanded that she join them at their school."

"And is Haruhi considering this? It seems highly unlike her."

"She was rather upset that we auctioned off her mechanical pencil."

"I told you to get permission from her first!"

"And in all fairness I should have listened."

"Yeah, you should've."

"Doesn't matter now, it's sold." he said, pausing. "Are you coming?"

"I don't know." she said. "I'm feeling really sick."

"Just take some cold medicine." he told her.

"I can't." she said.

"Why not?" he asked intrigued.

"I get weird when I take cold medicine, and I don't need anyone seeing that." she confessed.

"It can't be that bad," he said. "And if I will prevent Haruhi from leaving, what's the harm?"

"Okay, fine." she said. "But if I do something weird, you're to blame."

"It's a price I'm willing to pay." he said.

"Good." she said getting up from her bed. "I'll see you in an hour or so."

"Bye." he said hanging up.

Reika walked out of her room and to the medicine cabinet in her mother's bathroom. She hadn't drunk cold medicine since she was a kid, but her mom still did. She took the recommended dose and waited.

Nothing seemed to happen, that was great news. Reika smiled as she made her way to her room. Then it kicked in, the feeling of doing anything and everything crazy popped into her head. Today she had one goal, and one goal only, stop those Lobelia girls.

She had a crazy look in her eyes as she raced down the stairs, taking all the servants by surprise.

"Did she...?" the butler asked.

"I think she did." the maid said. "God help whomever she is going after." the butler nodded in agreement with wide eyes, remembering the last time Ms. Niigata took cold medicine.

Reika was feeling drowsy yet her mind hadn't register that as she hopped on her scooter and left her house faster than she should have.

They say that driving while intoxicated is dangerous, well they clearly haven't seen Reika ride her scooter while medicated. Things seemed clearer than ever before and blurry all at once. Cars honked as red lights were ignored and the speed limit seemed nonexistent. All was a blur in between Reika's house until she reached Ouran Academy.

But she didn't stop in the parking lot like a normal person. No, right now Reika Niigata was not a normal person as she-by some miracle-got inside the school and rode her scooter all the way to Music Room #3, where her friends had gathered at a last resort to get Haruhi to stay.

They all looked at the girl that rode her scooter into school, in shock.

"Don't worry lovelies, Reika Niigata is here to save the day!" she announced to them as she parked her scooter and unbuckled the helmet off her head that she almost forgot she put on.

It would have been a perfect entrance-if Reika hadn't walked the opposite side where her actual friends were, to talk to statues.

"Is that," Kaoru began. "Really Reika-senpai?" Hikaru finished. "What happened to her?" they asked.

"The side affects of cold medicine bottles should really include that." Kyoya murmured to himself, as he smacked his forehead.

"Now Haruhi, Tamaki tells me that you want to leave the Host Club." Reika talked to the statue. "Well, I can't allow that. Haruhi, answer me."

"Should we tell Rei-chan that's a statue?" Honey asked the others as they all watched the bizarre scene unfold. "And that Haru-chan isn't even here yet."

"Haruhi!" Reika yelled at the statue. "Why won't you answer me?!" she began shaking the statue, realizing that it was immobile and had no arms she started to cry. "Did those Lobelia girls do this you? I will make them pay! Do you hear me?! Pay!"

"I would sure hate to be those Lobelia girls right now." Tamaki said, as Reika swore her vengeance.

"Should we do something before Rei-chan hurts somebody?" Honey asked concerned.

"Who could she possibly hurt?" Tamaki said.

"Reika has been training martial arts with Mori for weeks and she is crazy from cold medicine." Kyoya said. "I think she could do quite a lot of damage."

"And who are you?" Reika said turning her attention to the boys. "Are you the Lobelia girls that hurt my friend Haruhi?"

The boys looked at the potentially crazy girl in front of them, and remembered of their plan to keep Haruhi in the Host Club, they were dressed in scandalous clothes, like the Lobelia girls.

"Reika, it's us." Tamaki tried to convince Reika. "We're just dressed like girls."

"Or you're girls with Tamaki voices." Reika said, her logic making perfect sense in her head, but confusing to the boys. "Trying to escape my avenging fury."

"No, no. Of course not." Tamaki said, trying again, to convince her that they were not the Lobelia girls, while he should have been running out of the room. "See, I'm Tamaki. That's Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai-"

"Likely story," she said pouncing at them like a cat, only to be stopped by metal bars.

Kyoya, who had lowered the cage looked at his dumbfounded friends and said the only thing that made sense as Reika started shaking the bars with unnatural strength. "Run!" he yelled.

His friends followed as they rushed out of Music Room #3 and locked the door behind them, coming face to face with Haruhi.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked them, looking at their frightened looks.

"We didn't want you to leave, so we called in Reika. But she was sick and Kyoya convinced her to take some cold medicine even though she said it made her go crazy. We didn't listen and now she's trying to kill us." Tamaki rushed into his explanation.

"Okay…" Haruhi said. "And the dresses?"

"We were trying to make you stay by showing you we could be like the Lobelia girls." Tamaki explained more.

"You boys are useless." Benio, the leader of the Lobelia girls said.

Haruhi ignored them. "What's going on with Reika?" she asked reaching for the door knob.

"No, don't open it." The twins said. "She might have gotten free from the cage."

"You have locked a girl in a cage?!" Benio said outraged. "We must stop this at once, they are keeping another maiden captive."

They overpowered the boys and opened the doors, revealing Reika sitting in the cage in the middle of the room.

"Don't worry fellow sister, the Lobelia girls are here to save you." Benio said.

Reika's eyes opened wide as fury filled them as she had just forgotten for a minute who the Lobelia girls were.

"Kill the Lobelia girls! Kill the Lobelia girls! Kill the Lobelia girls!" Reika yelled as she rattled the cage, some bars almost coming off its hinges.

The girls ran out of there. "Yeah, keep her locked up, that's a good idea." they said with fear in their voice. "Come on maiden, let's leave this place."

"What?" Haruhi said. "I'm not going with you."

"What?" Benio said. "But we have everything a girl like you could need."

"I'm sorry, but your club is not for me." Haruhi said. "I think that the idea of a girls' school is great, and your views are very interesting but I came to this school with a goal and a plan for my future. So, while I appreciate your offer I really already knew that I was never going to leave Ouran Academy."

The Lobelia girls were silent, in shock. While the Host Club boys were happy that Haruhi had decided to stay.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki said excited, then something dawned on him. "Hold on, if you knew you weren't going to leave, then why did you act so angry yesterday?"

"How would you feel if stole something of yours without asking you?!" Haruhi said angrily at him. "I really liked that mechanical pencil, it was easy to write with!"

"I'm sorry," Tamaki said taken aback. "But I was nice, and offered my teddy bear pencil in return and you said you didn't want it."

"That's right and I still don't want it." Haruhi said.

"Hmm, Benio." one of the Lobelia girls said looking at the two.

"Yes, I know." Benio said looking at Haruhi and Tamaki. "We're not going to give up on you maiden. I sweat this to you, some day we will come and rescue you from this place, and when we do we'll abolish the Ouran Host Club!" she swore, leaving the Host Club slightly frightful. "Well, adieu."

And with that, they left with pirouettes all the way out the door. To come back months later, but we won't get into that.

"Okay…" Tamaki said as he watched the Lobelia girls disappear in the hallway. "Now what are we going to do about Reika?"

They opened the door slightly and peaked in, to find Reika calmly sitting in the cage, talking to an armchair near by.

"...and then I said, 'I told you so.' and poked him in the nose." Reika said laughing at the chair, thinking she was laughing with the chair. "I know, it's so funny, right?"

They closed the door. "Alright, she seems to have calmed down again." Tamaki said. "Now, no one say the L word and she won't remember it."

"Okay." the rest of the boys and Haruhi agreed as they filled into the room.

Reika's laughter stopped when she looked at the boys who were still dressed like girls. "Lobelia girls." she growled, making the boys jump as she climbed on the bars and started shaking them. "Kill the Lobelia girls! Kill them all!"

The boys screamed and ran to the changing to change back into their uniforms so Reika wouldn't kill them. They left Haruhi there, she seemed like the only person that Reika didn't want to kill.

"Hey, Reika." Haruhi said uneasily. "How are you?"

"Haruhi!" Reika said reaching for her friend and giving her a hug through the bars. "You're alive, and you have arms again!" that statement confused Haruhi. "I thought the Lobelia girls killed you."

"No, no, no." Haruhi said, reassuring her friend. "I'm okay, the Lobelia girls are gone."

"Oh, that's great news, so you're staying in the Host Club?" Reika asked letting go of Haruhi.

"Who said anything about me leaving?" Haruhi asked. "And I thought you were sick."

"I was very sick. But Kyoya convinced me to take cold medicine, I felt better immediately after it, so I ran over here to stop you from leaving." Reika said. "Now, when did I get in a cage?"

"Wait, you didn't notice?" Haruhi asked. "You've been here for at least twenty minutes."

"No, I pretty sure the cage hasn't been here all that long." Reika said. "Robert and I were having a great conversation before you got here." she said pointing to the chair. "Now Robert, introduce yourself, don't be shy."

"That's okay," Haruhi said. "I'm sure Robert is a great person."

"He is!" Reika said excitedly. "Now, can you get me out of this cage?"

"Yeah, sure." Haruhi said going over to the rope of the cage and cranking the pulley until she raised the cage a feet off the ground so Reika could slide underneath it.

"Thanks," Reika said dusting herself off.

"What are you doing?!" the twins yelled as they saw Reika get free from the cage. "Why did you let her out, Haruhi?"

"The Lobelia girls are gone, and apparently I have arms, so she got over it." Haruhi said.

"Are you feeling better, Reika-senpai?" Kaoru asked her.

"Yeah, sure." Reika said going over to the armchair. "Have you guys meet Robert?"

"Who's Robert?" Hikaru asked, sharing a concerned look with his brother.

"This is Robert," Reika said pointing to the chair. "Say hi, Robert."

"Oh, yeah, she's a pillar of sanity." Tamaki said sarcastically to Haruhi. "At least she doesn't want to kill us."

"Oh, why would I ever want to kill you, Tamaki?" Reika asked, patting his head.

"Because-" Tamaki began but stopped himself, there was no need to remind her. "Nevermind, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I think my fever has gone down. I don't know why I used to not drink cold medicine, it works so much faster this way, and nothing's wrong."

Kyoya gave the girl an amused smile. "Sure, nothing's wrong." he said acerbically in his calm tone. "We should really get you back home."

"No!" Reika yelled, running away from Kyoya. "I still have so much to do! Who wants to go unicorn hunting with me?" she asked while getting on her scooter and placing her helmet on her head.

The boys and Haruhi all ran to keep her from reaching it, though it was useless, she was really fast.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes, it will be fun!" Reika said.

"You might hurt yourself Rei-chan," Honey said. "You are not quite yourself."

"Please, I feel freer than ever."

"Freer is not a word." the twins said.

"It is now!" Reika said. "Who's coming with me?!"

"Kyoya, why aren't you stopping her?" Tamaki urged his friend.

Kyoya looked up from his watch and smiled. "Oh, she's not going anywhere." he said, Tamaki gave him a confused look.

"Let's ride my friends as we become legends in-" she didn't even finish her sentence as she collapsed on her scooter.

While everyone looked at Reika in shock, Kyoya smiled and went over to her. He unclipped the helmet from her head and picked her up. She was heavier than he thought, and in a weird way, it pleased him. Just another thing about her that wasn't quite like he thought.

"Can I put her in your bed?" he asked the small blonde boy.

"Of course you can, Kyo-cha." Honey said smiling, while everyone looked at Kyoya's display of affection.

Which surprised no one that it was done while Reika couldn't see it or appreciate it, however just this once, Kyoya miscalculated the risk. When he set her down on Honey's comfortable bed, she woke up for a minute.

"Thank you, Kyoya." she said sleepy to the boy sitting on the bed next to where she was lying. "If you want to send me home, the address is-"

Kyoya stopped her by putting his hand over her mouth, she was clearly still out of it. "No, no. You're tired, you wouldn't tell me otherwise." he said, because he didn't want their little game to stop just yet. "Besides, I want to find out for myself." he said smiling.

She smiled back. "Thanks. Kanto." she said as she drifted back to sleep.

Her calling him by the wrong name took him aback a little. _Who was Kanto?_ he asked himself. He sighed as he stood up from the bed.

"She's going to be out for a while." he said to the boys before turning to Haruhi. "Do you think you can take her home with you?"

"Yeah. Sure, senpai." Haruhi said, understanding.

"Good, I'll have my driver waiting to take you home." he said walking out of Music Room #3.

"I never seen," Hikaru started. "Kyoya care about anyone that much." Kaoru finished. "Do you think he likes her?" they asked the others.

They all shrugged. "This is Kyoya were talking about." Tamaki said. "Maybe he's just covering his bases in case she turns out to be someone important."

"I don't know," Haruhi said. "If he wanted to know who she is, he probably would have asked her now. She is kind of loopy from the cold medication."

"Loopy is putting it nicely." Tamaki said, remembering her death threats.

Reika yawned from the bed. "Guys, where am I?" she asked them.

They went to Reika's bedside. "You're at the Host Club." Haruhi answered her.

"Oh," Reika said with an understanding tone, not bothering to ask how she got there. "Did I go crazy?"

"Yeah, you could say that." the twins said.

"Well, don't tell me what I did." Reika said cutting them short. "I don't want to know. I told Kyoya that I shouldn't drink cold medicine."

"Yeah, next time, don't drink it." Tamaki said. "Please."

Reika laughed. "No problem." she said. "I learned I should never again drink cold medicine once I woke up in a room filled with feathers and ketchup, or at least I hope it was ketchup."

"Then why did you, Rei-chan?" Honey asked.

"Kyoya and Tamaki made it seem like it was the end of the world, and I didn't want to lose my best friend." Reika said.

"Oh, well thanks." Haruhi said smiling though she was surprised. "I never had a best friend before."

"Neither have I." Reika responded. "Now, you are staying, aren't you?"

"Of course," Haruhi said. "I don't I understand why they ever thought that I would leave."

"It's because they're boys. And stupid." Reika said, Haruhi laughed in agreement.

"Hey, we're not stupid!" Tamaki defended himself.

"You were dressed up like girls!" Haruhi said laughing at the image in her mind.

"What?!" Reika said surprised. "They were dressed as girls and I missed that?"

"Oh, trust us." the twins said. "You didn't miss it."

"Yeah, but I don't remember it." Reika said yawning. "Boy, this cold medicine really makes you sleepy."

"And other things." Tamaki added.

"I think I'm going to take a nap." Reika said yawning again.

Before she could lay back down, Kyoya walked back into Music Room #3. "It's all settled, let's go." he said to Haruhi. "Oh, Reika. You're awake, good."

"For the time being." she said yawning. "Where are you guys going?"

"We are going to Haruhi's house," Kyoya said even toned. "You're staying over."

"Really?" Reika asked Haruhi. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it will be fun." Haruhi said smiling as she helped Reika up.

"Okay, sure." Reika said.

Reika, Kyoya, and Haruhi all waved goodbye to their remaining friends, when Reika saw her scooter. "Is that my scooter?" she asked them.

"Yes." Kyoya said. "I'll have someone drive it to Haruhi's house."

Reika didn't pay attention to the second part, all she was thinking was how it got here. "Oh, did I-please don't me I did." she said stressed.

"Okay, I won't tell you." Kyoya said while smiling to himself at her reaction, she face palmed as she refused to look at the bike while she left the room.

Everyone laughed at her reaction. One thing was certain, she would never drink cold medicine again and the world would be a safer place for it.

On the trip to Haruhi's house, Reika fell asleep, swaying from her upright position to the person on her left. Who just happened to be Kyoya.

He was uncertain what to do at first, but after seeing that Haruhi was busy looking out the window and wouldn't witness the act, he put his arm around Reika to keep her from falling over. Or at least, that was what he told himself. As for pulling her closer, he had no excuse for that.

When they arrived, Haruhi turned from the window to Kyoya, she hid a smile when she saw him holding Reika, and decided not to disturb them.

"I'll go tell my dad that Reika's spending the night," Haruhi said. "I'll let you wake her up."

"Sure." Kyoya said, slightly embarrassed to be caught in that position, not that he let it show. Haruhi hadn't waited for a response and was already out of the car. "Reika," Kyoya tried to nudge her awake. "We're here."

She stretched a little, realizing she was pressed against something that was soft and hard at the same time. Her eyes widened as she took in her position on the limo.

"S-sorry." she stuttered, getting off of Kyoya, who snaked his arm away from her before she realized.

"It's okay." he said. "You were tired."

"Yeah," she said sitting up, realizing something. "I should probably call Anita, she'll be worried."

"Who's Anita?" he asked.

"My maid." she said taking out her phone.

"What about your parents?"

"My mom's out of the country, won't be back for days."

"Oh." Kyoya said while Reika was busy with her phone call. He took in the information he had just acquired. No mention of a father, which meant her mother probably handled the business. Her unbothered tone sounded like she wasn't very fond of her mother who was probably out a lot.

"Yeah, I'll be fine getting home." Reika finished her phone call. "See you tomorrow."

"Who's Kanto?" Kyoya asked the question that had been on his mind.

Reika's eyes widened. "Where did you hear that name?" her voice sounded hurt. Like the name opened up a wound that didn't heal.

"You called me Kanto when you were falling asleep the second time." he said. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Reika laughed, far harder than she intended. "No, no. Of course not." she said laughing again. "Why? Were you jealous?"

"I just wanted to know where the name came from." he said in defense of himself.

"He was my brother." she said. "He always took care of me when I sick, probably why I said his name."

"Was?" Kyoya asked.

"Yeah, he passed away." Reika said giving him a sad smile and shrugging.

"Reika, I'm-" he started, she stopped him.

"No, it's fine." she said. "It happened almost four years ago."

There was a silence in the car, that no one knew how to end. Reika gave it a try anyway. She was looking straight ahead, not at Kyoya. "You remind me of him." she said.

"Why?" he asked, knowing this was a fragile subject.

"He was a complicated guy," she said tucking her hair behind her ear, still not looking at him. "No one understood him, or what he did. They saw what was in front of them, but not the big picture. If you stepped back a little, you saw all the amazing things he did, and just how good of a guy he really was."

"He sounds great, but I'm not like that." Kyoya said.

Reika finally looked at him. "Then I guess you have to take a step back and see it for yourself." she said, reaching for the door handle. "Because I see it, and I'm amazed." she said stepping out of the limo where Haruhi and her father were waiting for her.

Haruhi's father's hair was long and styled like a woman's but that didn't bother Reika at all, Haruhi had told her all about her father.

"You must be Reika Niigata, it's a pleasure to meet you." he said.

"You too, Mr. Fujioka." Reika said smiling.

"Haruhi tells me you're feeling a little under the weather," he said ushering her up to the Fujioka's apartment. "Well, my wife left us a recipe that should fix that."

"Just as long as it's not cold medicine." she said as they climbed the stairs.

"No, Haruhi told me that cold medicine was a bad idea." he said smiling.

"You have no idea." she said to him.

Meanwhile, Kyoya was giving Haruhi instructions of Reika's medicines. "She take this every two hours," he said. "And this one every six hours."

"Kyoya, don't you think you're overdoing it a little, her cold is almost over." Haruhi said.

"And we must prevent it from getting worse." he said. "Now, are you sure you can handle this? Because I can get one of my family's nurses to-"

"She's be okay, I promise." she interrupted him. "Now, go. Get some sleep."

"Alright, I will." he said, realizing that his emotions were getting the better of him. "But I want you to call me-"

"Just go!" she said, a little testy. "I told you she'll be fine! If there's a problem I promise I'll call you. Now I know why Tamaki calls you mommy."

"Fine." Kyoya said motioning for the driver to drive on.

Haruhi sighed. "Yep, he definitely likes her." she said to herself before going up to her apartment.


	7. A Day in the Life of Reika Niigata!

**Chapter 7**

_A Day in the Life of Reika Niigata!/A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family!_

* * *

When Reika woke up the next morning it took her a while for the events of yesterday to catch up with her. She was in a different bed and feeling much better that she was feeling the past three days.

She got out bed and wandered out of the Haruhi's room and to the kitchen where she found Haruhi cooking.

"Good morning." Reika said.

"Good morning, Reika." Haruhi said turning around. "Are you feeling better."

"A lot." Reika said. "Cold medicine has horrible side affects, but it sure is affective."

"Kyoya wanted me to give you of these pills," Haruhi said, pointing at the weekly organizer of pills that elderlies use. "I would say you don't need them, but I'm pretty sure Kyoya would be able to sniff it out if you didn't."

Reika laughed. "Yeah." she said taking the container and looking at the Saturday box as Haruhi passed her a glass of water. Reika swallowed the three pills one by one. "What are you cooking?" she asked Haruhi when she swallowed all of them.

"Just breakfast." Haruhi said. "My dad is out until later, so it's just the two of us."

"Do you need any help?" Reika asked him.

"No, thank you." Haruhi said. "I'm almost done."

"Okay." Reika said, though she was anxious to make herself useful. "I'll set the table."

"You don't-" Haruhi started but Reika stopped her.

"You let me stay over, you're cooking breakfast." Reika said. "Let me do something to try to repay your kindness."

Haruhi was about to protest, yet she knew it would be futile. "The plates are on the left cabinet." she said.

"Thank you." Reika said as she reached for the plates and started setting up the table.

After a few minutes Haruhi was done making breakfast and place it on the table where she and Reika started eating silently.

"This is really good." Reika said to Haruhi.

"Thank you," Haruhi beamed. "It was my mother's recipe."

"Do you have any plans for today?" Reika asked.

"Not really." Haruhi said.

"Good." Reika said. "I need to go buy some clothes, since all I have is pajamas."

"Why don't you just go back home." Haruhi said withholding the urge to say to herself, "Rich people." because she knew Reika wasn't like the boys in the Host Club.

"My mother is coming back today, and I want to avoid her at all cost." Reika said groaning.

Haruhi knew almost nothing about Reika's mom, she sometimes thought it was selfish of Reika to treat her mother like that when Haruhi missed hers so much. Then Haruhi remembered, she didn't know anything about Reika's mom, she could be a horrible person for all she knew. And by the way that Reika referred to her mom, maybe she was.

"Do you want to come with me?" Reika asked Haruhi.

Haruhi thought for a minute. "Sure." she said.

"Great." Reika smiled.

They finished their breakfast and headed out. Haruhi was looking at bus schedules when they looked at Reika's scooter parked in front of Haruhi's building.

"Looks like Kyoya got here early." Reika said climbing on and putting on her helmet.

"I doubt that," Haruhi said as she climbed on behind, holding on to the back of the scooter. "He would have asked to see you. He probably had someone drop it off yesterday."

Reika caught Haruhi's hints, but chose to ignore it. "Yeah." she said simply as she started her scooter.

They drove off in direction of the center of the they arrived at the mall, a thought dawned on Haruhi.

"Do you even have any money?" she asked Reika while getting off the scooter.

"If you mean, did I think of bringing my wallet when I was under the influence of cold medicine? No." Reika said getting off of the scooter too.

"Then how are you going to pay?" Haruhi asked.

"Always be prepared." Reika told Haruhi as she opened the back compartment of her scooter and took out a pouch as she replaced it with her helmet. She opened the pouch, taking out various things (a first aid kit, water, and three granola bars), until she held up her credit card.

Haruhi gave her an impressed look. "Okay." she said nodding as they walked towards the mall doors.

They only spent a few hours on the mall, at first people gave Reika strange looks because she was wearing pajamas to the mall. At the first store Reika quickly bought an outfit and changed into it.

Haruhi was taken aback at her choice, she had never seen Reika in anything but her school uniform and the odd costumes the boys made her dress up in.

"What?" Reika asked when she saw that Haruhi was staring, as she subconsciously tried to find anything wrong with her clothes.

"I've never seen you in normal clothes before." Haruhi said. "You look so common."

"Well...thanks." Reika said. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know," Haruhi said. "Designer labels and extravagant clothes. Maybe something closer to Ouran Academy's uniform."

Reika laughed. "Not today." she said. "Today, I'm me. Not who someone wants me to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't own clothes like that, but today, I don't need them."

Haruhi smiled and so did Reika. They kept on walked through the mall, Reika took Haruhi to all the stores that Haruhi had never dared walk into.

They dressed up in crazy clothes and laughed at themselves. The store workers would get angry but just as they were about to ask them to leave, Reika flashed them her credit card and the store workers would go back to smiling.

Haruhi had more fun than she thought she would have. Every time she came to the mall it was to look for bargains, she never had any fun like this before.

Reika was feeling something close to that. She never had a close friend since her parents decided she would have a happier childhood with she was away from people that only cared about her fortune. The kids her age she did meet that were homeschooled were either weird or snobbish. She was glad that she finally had a friend that she could have fun with.

"This is the most fun I've had in a long time." Reka said to Haruhi as they were eating lunch in the mall's food court.

"Me too." Haruhi said.

"No, seriously." Reika said. "I think you're the only friend that I've actually have had."

"I'm sure there were others." Haruhi said, she was a little bit intrigued about learning something from Reika's past.

"My parents homeschooled me to 'protect' me, all the people I met were either older or way older than me." Reika said. "There were a few kids that I would have joint classes with to socialize, but there was always something off about them."

"Like what?" Haruhi asked.

"There was this boy who was afraid of lights, this girl that tried manipulating everyone to fit her needs, and this other kid who talked through his computer because he was too shy." Reika said. "Not entirely people you can hang out with."

Haruhi nodded. "That must have been tough." she said. "Having no one to talk to."

"It wasn't so bad." Reika said shrugging. "The boy who was afraid of lights was nice once you got over the darkness, I think he's going to a school now. But we haven't really kept in touch-"

Reika's phone started to ring. "Who is it?" Haruhi asked. Both Reika and Haruhi looked at the caller ID and smiled. "Took him long enough." she said.

Reika rolled her eyes and opened her phone. "Hello." she said to the person on the other end.

"You certainly sound better." the unmistakable even tone of Kyoya said.

"Yes, thanks for noticing." she said. "Were you checking up on me?"

"Of course," he said, Reika raised an eyebrow waiting for him to explain himself, like she knew he would so she won't get the wrong idea. "B-because I-we need you back in the Host Club on Monday. There is quite a lot of work to be done."

She smiled at him excuse. "With the medicine you've given me, I think I'll be just fine." she said.

"Yes, they are the pride of the Ootori medicine empire." he said.

"I'm sure it is." she said, looking at Haruhi who was rolling her eyes at their conversation. Reika laughed to herself. "Thanks for checking up on me, but I can assure you that I'm doing great. Haruhi and I are hanging out now, and I don't want to be rude."

"Oh, yes. Of course." he said a little crestfallen but not enough for Reika to catch on to it. "I have some business to care of too."

"Then I'll talk to you latter." she said.

"Certainly." he said before hanging up.

Reika smiled and closed her phone. "Where to next?" she asked Haruhi.

Haruhi and Reika spent about an hour more at the mall, bugging the shopper helpers. When they got back to Haruhi's apartment it was nearly four.

Haruhi got off of Reika's scooter. "Here," Reika said passing Haruhi one of the bags of clothes Reika bought. "A 'thank-you' present."

"I can't accept this." Haruhi said, opening the bag and seeing some of the clothes that she tried on with Reika.

"I can give you three reasons to why you are going to accept it." Reika said getting off her scooter and taking off her helmet as Haruhi waited patiently. "One, they looked awesome on you. Two, take as a thank-you for all that you've done for me. And three, little mementos of the fun we had today."

"Okay, I'll accept it." Haruhi said smiling, she really did like those clothes.

"Good." Reika said getting back on her scooter. "I've got to go."

"I thought you didn't want to go home." Haruhi said.

"I have to face the monster at some point." Reika said putting on her helmet. "I'll call you later."

"Sure." Haruhi said. "Thanks for the clothes."

"You're welcome." Reika said starting her scooter. "Bye."

"Bye." Haruhi said as Reika drove off.

Reika sighed as she neared her house, she really didn't want to home. She prolonged her journey home as much as she reached the double door gate. The gate was tall and made of black steel, with the letters A and S beautifully sculptured on the columns.

The gates swung open as the security officers recognized Reika and her scooter. They nodded at her as she entered the 'front yard' of her house.

"Is there any chance you could hold off on telling my mother I arrived?" she asked them.

The guards smiled at her, it wasn't the first time she asked this of them. "I'm sure we can hold off on telling her for an hour or so." the man said.

"Thank you." Reika smiled warmly at them. She rode her scooter through the back of the house so her mother won't hear her coming. She parked it close to the garage and went off to the back of the house.

One of the greatest advantages of having such a large house was that you could hide from people you didn't want to see. Especially if those people were your family.

Reika walked the grounds of the Akita estate, Akita being her mother's maiden name. The house had belonged to her mother's parents, Sakuri Sasaki and Kanto Akita, who were now long gone. The estate was beautiful in many ways, but Reika thought it beautiful because of the memories she had in the place. Memories of how things were before the accident, when everything in her world was close to perfection.

She shuddered at that word, perfect. Now everything was far from that. She shook those thoughts away as she focused on the beauty. Sitting down by the lily pond as the sun started to set.

Such a beautiful moment ruined by the screeching she heard from the house. "Reika!" her mother yelled. "Reika!"

Reika sighed, getting up. She followed the screams to the living room. "Yes?" Reika said politely.

"Where have you been?" her mother asked. "I arrived early this morning and you were gone."

That had been the mother Reika used to know, she would have found her mother's worrying touching, but she knew her mother had her own agenda. The dinner with the Ootori being that agenda.

"I went shopping." Reika said. There was no need to bother her mother with the details that she was sick, she wouldn't care anyway.

"Then where are your bags?" her mother asked her, unconvinced.

"Here are your bags, Ms. Niigata." Anita said bringing Reika the bags she left outside by her scooter. Reika smiled, Anita always had the best timing.

"Thank you, Anita." Reika said, giving her mother a triumphant look. "You can put those in my bedroom."

"Of course, Ms. Niigata." Anita said, Reika gave the maid a grateful smile.

"Umph. I hope you didn't buy those clothes there." her mother said motioning to Reika's outfit. "I thought I taught you to have better style than that."

"Of course, mother." Reika said giving her mother a fake smile. "This are simply so I can better blend with the commoners." she lied, she loved her outfit.

"Good." her mother said. "Now, to the topic at hand." she said motioning Reika to her office. "As you know the dinner with the Ootori family is approaching."

"Yes." Reika said entering the office and sitting on the chair opposite her mother's.

"The Ootori family's private police, dubbed the Black Onion Squad, has done a lot of business with our company. Niigata Security services and sells mostly to South and North American private organizations. Now we are moving into an Asian market and the Black Union Squad, being one of our first clients we are hoping they can help us with the attack." Reika's mother spoke as though this was war, and in her head, it was.

"So we need to make a good impression on the Ootori family." Reika said, smiling to herself when she pictured Kyoya's face when he found out who she was.

"Exactly." her mother said. "We, are of course, in good standing with them being of such an old family in the business world. Yoshio Ootori will consider an alliance of marriage if he is still as smart as I remember him."

Her mother's last statement rings in her ears, her eyes widen. "Marriage?" she asks her mother, the shockwaves still hitting her.

"Of course, you are nearly nineteen." her mother said. _In two years._ Reika tells herself. "A perfect time to make a commitment." _Perfect for whom?_ "Now, don't look scared. Mine and your father's wedding was arranged by our parents, and I think it worked out well for our companies and both of us. Rest his soul."

Reika noticed her mother's pained expression for a just a second before it was replaced by the woman she has been for the past three years. She missed who her mom used to be. Tears threatened to show, she had to excuse herself before they began to fall.

"Excuse me, mother." she said. "I have some homework that needs to be done." she lied.

"Of course." her mother said excusing her.

Reika nearly ran out of her mother's office but kept her decorum even though tears were already falling. As soon as she closed the doors behind her, grateful her mother hadn't called for her attention again, she ran up the stairs to her room. The work staff saw, all of their angry glares turned to the office door.

The Akita house staff loved Reika, she was always thoughtful and grateful for them. They knew things weren't always like this, once the family was happy. Now most of the times that Reika spoke to the mistress of the house Reika either wanted to scream or cry, and that didn't sit too well with the staff. Not that they could do anything about it.

Reika locked the door of her room, even though she knew her mother wouldn't be bothering her again for a while. Reika hugged her pillow as she cried on her bed.

She cried because of who her mother turned into, she cried because she missed how things used to be, and she cried because she was going to be forced into a marriage. It didn't matter to her who she would marry, because she knew her mother would be paying more attention to his family and companies than to the actual person.

After a few minutes, the crying stopped. Reika pulled herself together, like she was used to doing.

"No more pity party." she told herself as she dried her tears. She tried to cheer herself up with hopeful fantasies. Maybe the man her mother would choose would be a good person. Maybe she would get to choose. Maybe her mother would see how she was acting and be back to her old self.

When that didn't work, she thought of the Host Club. Her friends and how much fun she was having with them. A smile returned to her face when she looked at the clothes that she bought this morning. The memories of her and Haruhi modeling the clothes made her laugh.

She stretched out on her bed as she reached for a book, feeling a lot better than she was feeling a few minutes ago.

Reika didn't even get through the first chapter when her phone began to ring. The caller ID was unknown.

"Hello?" Reika asked.

"I think I should be able to track your phone." Kyoya said on the other line.

Reika laughed. "Go ahead and try." she told him, unconvinced as she rolled her eyes. "Are you using equipment from your family's private security?"

"Yes." he said, not even surprised she knew. "Now you just have to stay on the line for a few more seconds."

"I can wait." she said. As a few seconds passed she heard Kyoya's muffled words of disappointment. "Did it work?"

"Of course it didn't." he said recomposing himself. "As you knew it wouldn't."

"Well, yeah." she said smiling at his annoyment. "Do you really think someone who doesn't have a school file, something so basic and yet so dangerous, would let her phone be so easily tracked."

"It says: 'Password needed.'" he said reading the box that popped up on his screen.

"I know." she said. "I told you my family was serious when it came to security."

"I think I can crack the password." he told her, a challenge, though he knew there was no way it would be this easy.

"Sure, of course you can try." she told him. "But three strikes and your computer gets hacked."

Kyoya sighed. "I won't give up." he said.

"And I appreciate the perseverance." she told him as she hung up. She laughed to herself as she held her phone close to her chest, she smiled as she returned to her book. This game was fun for her.

The next morning, Reika woke up by the sound of her phone ringing.

"Hello?" she said, not looking at the caller ID.

"Reika, it's Haruhi." Haruhi said. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but that's okay." Reika said, not wanting Haruhi to feel bad. "What's up?"

"It's Sunday and I usually go shopping today." Haruhi said, Reika could hear Haruhi's excitement building. "There is a lot of great bargains today, and I was wondering if you would like to come with me."

Reika smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that." she said.

"Great, meet me at my house?" Haruhi asked.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." Reika said.

"Okay, see you soon." Haruhi said.

"See you soon." Reika said.

Reika was excited, she normally didn't see many people on weekends that weren't in the house staff. She yawned and stretched before getting out of bed to get ready.

Within fifteen minutes she was heading towards the kitchen. "Good morning." Reika said to them.

"Good morning." the kitchen staff said surprised. The kitchen staff was used to Reika coming down to the kitchen, but never this early.

"Are you feeling alright, Ms. Niigata?" Anita asked.

"I'm great." Reika said nabbing a piece of toast. "I'm going out, I don't know when I'll be back."

"Good to hear." Anita said, the rest of the present staff smiled too. It was a long time since they seen Reika leave the house on a weekend.

"Please tell my mother-" Reika started.

"Only when asked." Anita finished, she knew the ways that Reika liked things done.

Reika smiled. "Exactly." she said. "Bye." she said to the staff.

Reika and her scooter arrived at Haruhi's apartment minutes later. Haruhi was waiting outside.

"We won't need your scooter, the store is nearby." Haruhi said to Reika.

"Okay." Reika said unmounting her scooter and putting away her helmet.

The two girls walked in silence until they reached the store. Reika allowed to be dragged around by Haruhi. Haruhi was going crazy over the offers and bargains of the store.

"Isn't this great?" Haruhi asked Reika as they neared the end of their browsing.

"Yeah," Reika said smiling. "I never knew you could get so much stuff for such low prices."

"I know!" Haruhi said excitedly, happy to be able to share her hobby with someone.

As the two girls laughed over what they bought, they were blissfully unaware of the black cars that were in route to Haruhi's apartment caring the six Host Club boys.

"I had fun." Reika said as they were nearing Haruhi's street.

"Me too." Haruhi said. "Hey, do you have to go home soon?"

"No, why?" Reika asked.

"We could hang out at my house." Haruhi said.

"That would be great." Reika smiled.

Haruhi smiled back, soon her smile faded as she saw the people of her neighborhood looking at the limo that had just arrived and parked in front of Haruhi's apartment building.

"Is that…?" Reika said surprised as the Host Club boys filled out of their cars. Reika looked over to Haruhi to check her reaction, she laughed internally as she saw her friend's less than enthusiastic reaction.

Reika's eyes shifted to the boys, they were all looking at the apartment building in surprise. Kyoya seemed to be explaining things to them. Tamaki looked aggravated about something as he talked to Kyoya. Kyoya tried to usher the twins back into their car but Tamaki stopped him.

"I think we should go talk to them." Reika said to Haruhi, bringing her back to reality. "They are bringing in a crowd."

"You're right." Haruhi said begrudgedly as they walked to the boys on the other side of the street. It was then that Tamaki started making his big speech.

"Now listen up men," Tamaki started. "Don't you forget! We must be polite. This is a casual visit, we just happen to be in the neighborhood kind of visit. We are not here to judge the Fujioka family's lifestyle. The words: shabby, crowded, and rundown are absolutely forbidden."

"Right, yes sir." the twins and Honey said while saluting. Mori didn't say anything, but he saluted and that was enough for Tamaki. Kyoya, however, was aware of the fact that Reika and Haruhi were approaching them and heard every word. Haruhi looked ticked off.

"Don't say anything that might offend Haruhi or her father, and cause them to ask us to leave." Tamaki continued, only making Haruhi more angry.

"Well, it's too late for that." Haruhi said, the boys who were ignorant of the fact that the girls were listening to Tamaki's speech, now were surprised. More than the rest was Tamaki. "Go away!" she said.

Haruhi was so angry she was shaking. Making Reika worry that the eggs that Haruhi bought would be scrambled before they were opened.

"Haruhi." Tamaki said, taking in her girly appearance. As did the other usual suspects.

"That dress is pretty cute." the twins and Tamaki said. While Kyoya and Mori were silent.

"Shut up, get the hell out of here!" Haruhi yelled at them, mostly Tamaki.

Tamaki shrieked at the twins. "Haruhi is so mad she actually cursed at us." he said to them.

"It wasn't our fault." the twins said as Tamaki continued blaming them.

Reika took the opportunity to go ask the other guys what was going on. "Hey," she said to Mori, Kyoya, and Honey.

"Hi, Rei-chan!" Honey said with his usual enthusiasm. "How are you?"

"Good, how are you?" she asked him with a smile.

"I'm great, thanks for asking." he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Haruhi and I were shopping." she told him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Tamaki wanted to check up Haruhi and her living situation." Kyoya said with his usual tone. "I tried to reassure him, alas, he was curious and so were we."

"But you've been here before, Kyo-chan." Honey said to the taller boy. "When you dropped Reika off on Friday."

"Yes," Kyoya said fixing his glasses on his face. "I never went in, though."

"Ah, okay." Honey said, understanding.

Haruhi looked annoyed as she ushered the twins and Tamaki towards her apartment. "Come on, then." she told the rest of them. "Apartment 203."

As the boys climbed the stairs, Reika and Haruhi stayed behind. "Do you want me to go?" she asked Haruhi.

"Of course not." Haruhi said. "Especially not now, I need your help with them."

Reika laughed and so did Haruhi. "They can't be that bad." Reika said as she and Haruhi climbed after the boys.

"Keep telling yourself that, maybe one day I'll believe it." Haruhi said.

The boys were all crowded around Haruhi's apartment door, waiting for Haruhi to open them.

"Okay, here's the deal." Haruhi told them when she got in front of the door. "I'm only giving you guys a quick peak. Three seconds. And then you all go home, got it?"

"Look," Honey said presenting Haruhi a blue wrapped up box. "I brought you a gift Haru-chan. I know how you love cake. There's both chocolate and strawberry. I think we should have some."

Haruhi sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll make some tea." she said as she unlocked the door.

Haruhi and Reika walked in the apartment first, the boys stayed behind as they checked out the apartment. All the boys gave their best at complementing Haruhi's apartment.

"You don't have to struggle to complement it." Haruhi said, putting a stop to their complements that sounded more like insults.

"Hold on," Honey said as he looked at the Reika's and Haruhi's shoes left at the door. "Do we have to take our shoes off too?"

"Please," Haruhi said. "If you don't mind."

"You hear that," Honey said to Mori in his usual happiness. "We have to take our shoes off. It's kind of like going to the dojo, huh."

"Yeah." Mori deadpanned.

The boys continued to make rude 'complements' over Haruhi's house, all which almost made Haruhi go over the edge. As Tamaki made the boys sit with their knees hugged to their chest so they could fit in the room, it almost made Reika burst out laughing.

"I just got to get through this visit," Haruhi muttered to herself. "I should've expected this from them."

Reika gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Come, I'll help you make the tea." she as she walked to the kitchen.

"Reika and I are going to make some tea." Haruhi announced to the boys.

"Hey, here's an idea." Reika heard Kaoru say from the other room. "Why don't you make us this, it's black tea that our father brought us as a souvenir from Africa. Here, try it."

"Umh. Sure, no problem." Haruhi said, unsure what to do. She walked into the kitchen and Reika had already prepared cups.

"It best served as milk tea," Hikaru called out. "Do you have milk?"

"I think so." Haruhi said. "When was the last time that I bought some milk?"

"We bought some today, remember?" Reika said pulling out the milk from the plastic bag.

"Oh, yeah." Haruhi said.

The two finished making the tea fast, it wasn't that hard, Reika even prefered this way to make tea, it was so much faster.

"I'm sorry Haruhi." Kaoru said. "You don't have to go through all that trouble, we don't need any tea. We'll be fine with a glass of water."

"What? It's no trouble." Haruhi said when she and Reika finished the last cup. "Besides, we've already finished."

The twins and Tamaki gave Reika and Haruhi shocked looks. "Oh, well in that case." the three boys said together.

They huddled together and whispered to each other. Kyoya answered them, but Reika didn't hear any of their conversation as she and Haruhi started bringing the cups to the table.

"Okay, guys." Haruhi said. "The tea's ready. I'm sorry that not all the cups match."

Reika sat next to Kyoya and Haruhi as Honey took out his present and set up the table with the cakes. He let Haruhi chose first, then Reika, and then himself. It was quite the accomplishment for him.

During the tea, Reika was seated next to Kyoya and Honey. They both watched as Mori gave Haruhi his strawberries and the twins and Tamaki started freaking out.

"What's up with them?" Reika whispered to Kyoya.

"I don't even know where to begin." he told her pinching the bridge of his nose.

Reika laughed at that. Before anyone knew it, the cakes were gone and so was the tea. That was when the boys started pestering Haruhi about lunch.

"Eating all that cake sure wet my appetite." Honey began.

"Yeah, isn't it lunch time about now." Hikaru said.

"Well, then. What's for lunch?" the twins and Tamaki said in union, they were doing that a lot lately.

"Seriously?" Reika commented to herself, and Kyoya overheard.

"Will you guys quit being so happy-go-lucky all the time." Haruhi complained.

"We'll take care of it." Kyoya said standing up. "We did drop in unexpectedly, so we'll pay for lunch." he said digging into his pocket. "Why don't you just order us some of your favorite sushi."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Haruhi said, not taking Kyoya's charity. "I think that if I let you guys pay I'll only regret it later."

"Oh, don't worry, Haruhi." Kyoya said taking out his gold credit card. "We'll just pay using the profits of the photos of you we auctioned off."

Hearing this, Reika couldn't help but to hit the back of Kyoya's leg. He looked down at her, his eyes asking what was wrong.

"That's kind of mean." she mouthed the words to him. He just raised an eyebrow at her and smiled sadistically. Reika rolled her eyes at him.

Meanwhile, at Kyoya's words, Haruhi was under a dark cloud. "So I'm really paying for it, after all." she said. "Well, if that's what you want. I do have a friend that runs a nice little sushi shop nearby, so I can just give him a call. Their stuff is pretty high quality."

Tamaki quickly scribbles a note and gives it to Haruhi, who is immediately offended by whatever it is. She tosses it away, and Tamaki throws a fit.

Then comes Honey who gives Haruhi an idea. "I'd really love it if you would make us something for lunch, Haru-chan." he said.

"I guess I could whip something up," Haruhi said to Honey. "But it's going to take me some time."

Honey was excited. "We can wait." he said jumping.

"I'm gonna have to go to the supermarket again." Haruhi said.

"We're coming with you." the twins said. "We want to see a commoners' supermarket."

"Me too!" Honey said. "Me too!"

"This could be a learning experience." Kyoya said.

"Then I guess, everyone is going." Reika said.

The boys filled out of the apartment, with the twins out in the lead chanting, "Commoners' supermarket! Commoners' supermarket! "

"Ah, that's it." Haruhi said regretfully to Reika. "So much for hanging out."

"We can hang out anytime." Reika said as she followed Kyoya out the door. "I'll lead them so you have some time to yourself while you figure out what you want to cook."

"Thanks, Reika." Haruhi smiled at her friend, while Reika waved Haruhi goodbye.

As Reika was about to go down the stairs, she saw Haruhi's dad climbing up. "Hey, Mr. Fujioka." Reika said.

"Oh, hey Reika." he said. "What an unexpected visit."

"Yeah, there are quite a lot of those today." she told him.

"Where's Haruhi?" he asked her.

"She's inside, she should be out pretty soon." she said. "Were going to the supermarket to make lunch."

"That's great." he said. "I'm so happy Haruhi has a friend to go shopping with."

Reika smiled at Haruhi's father as he was walking towards his apartment. Reika's happy mood, however, didn't last long as her phone rang again. She looked at the caller ID and sighed. She looked at the boys and back at her phone.

"Hey," she called down to them. "Can you check on Haruhi, I have to go make a call."

"Sure!" the twins said coming up the stairs.

Reika thanked them and walked to the other side of the apartment building.

"Hello." she said to the person at the other end of the line.

"Reika, where are you?" her mother asked.

"I'm at a friend's house." Reika said.

"Well, that's alright, I guess." her mother said. Her words confused Reika. "They can consul you, because the dinner with the Ootori has been postponed to next month. All of your planning gone down the drain."

"Oh, that's too bad." Reika said faking her sadness for her mother's benefit. Inside she was smiling and dancing.

"At least this gives up more time to plan." her mother said. The dancing and smiling stopped.

"Yeah, sure." Reika said, restraining herself from hitting her head on the concrete pillars. "My friends are missing me, I better go."

"Of course." her mother said as she hung up.

Reika sighed, sliding down to the floor to sit down. _At least that gives me one more month to have fun with Kyoya. That is until he learns who I am, then things will get weird. Hell, his father might even make him propose to me. Urgh!_ Reika thought to herself.

"Reika, are you okay?" a voice came from above her. She looked up and found Kyoya looking at her.

"Yeah, I'm great." she said faking a smile as she got up.

"You don't seem so sure." he said to her.

Reika gave him a defeated laugh. "Now who is too observant." she said. There was silence between them. Kyoya didn't know how to fix it. Reika leaned against the railing, her back facing him.

"I should be happy." she said. "I know you're going to be, you're going to find out who am I soon enough."

"What?" he asked her, reaching for her.

She turned around before he could touch her, and then his hand shot back at his side lightning fast.

"Nothing. Forget about it." she said, she was leaning against the railing again only this time she was facing him and he mirrored her actions. There was another silence. "I never thanked you for taking care of me on Friday."

"You don't need to thank me." he said. "We agreed when you took the medicine that if your side affects happened, you would be my responsibility."

Reika laughed. "Kyoya," she said touching his hand that was on the railing. "It's very impolite not to accept someone's gratitude."

He smiled at her, rolling his eyes. "You're welcome." he said.

"What?" she asked him, faking shock. "No 'you owe me'? No 'now you have to do this'? No 'you can pay me back with your body'?" she rolled her eyes at the last one.

Kyoya laughed. He laughed! It was the first time Reika had seen or made him laugh. It was weird, but it was also so infatuating. She started to laugh with him. This was an inside joke for them, anyone hearing this would have given the two a weird look.

"I never heard you laugh before." Reika said in between after shock giggles as things quieted down.

"There's not much that amuses me." he said.

"Well, I'm glad I know one thing that does." she said.

The two smiled for a minute, just smiled at each other. Until they were interrupted by Haruhi's father.

"Hey, you two come on!" He called out to them. "Were going to have some fun."

And fun, apparently, meant following Haruhi to the supermarket. Once there, everyone went their separate ways.

Tamaki went with Haruhi's dad to spy on Haruhi. Mori was pushing Honey around in a shopping cart as Honey looked around for pastries. The twins were looking at everything like it was a new world.

Kyoya pulled Reika with him as he looked at things. "You've been here before, then you should know how this works." was his excuse when she asked him.

He spent a better part of their time at the supermarket asking Reika questions about the product and the manners of buying the products.

"So does double coupon mean that I need two?" he asked her.

"I don't know." she told him, which has been mostly her answer to everything that he asked her. "I've only been here once, you know."

As Haruhi headed home, so did they. Reika helped Haruhi make lunch. Reika had never been much of a cook, in the end though, she helped out more than she taught. Maybe cooking should be added to list of things Kyoya is teaching her.

She glanced over at Kyoya as she was cooking. _How will he react when he finds out?_ She asked herself.


	8. A Terrible Day Gone Worst!

**Chapter 8**

_A Terrible Day Gone Worst!/Big Brother is a Prince!_

* * *

It was one thing to be shunned by people that she doesn't care about or get death threats from said people, but it's another thing entirely when they slash the tires of her scooter and then get showered by cold water from a bucket.

That's how Reika arrived at Music Room #3 that day. She was angry and she was dripping wet from head to toe. Just hearing those girl giggle as she passes them, pretending nothing was wrong, made her blood boil. She stronger than they gave her credit for, but once she arrived at the Host Club and saw their smiling face she remembered whose fault this was, all that credit went away.

"Reika, you're late." Kyoya said to her as he checked his watch.

She was angry, yet she didn't want to let it show in any convenient way. She walked towards Kyoya until they were toe to toe. She looked him straight in the eye.

"Then arrest me officer, before I run your customers over with a truck." she told him. He was taken aback, everyone was.

They never seen Reika angry before. She always seemed so calm and well kept together. Well, so much for that image of her.

The only two people who didn't take this situation as serious as they should have were the twins. "Okay." they said. They took Reika's words as a challenge as each twin grabbed a wrist and forced her into a chair.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled at them as she struggled against them until she heard two firm clicks. She looked at the silver bracelets on each wrist that was connected to the arms of the chair. "You actually gave them handcuffs?!" she said to Kyoya. "I thought we agreed that was a bad idea."

"Yeah, but you still gave one to the boss and Haruhi." the twins said as Tamaki and Haruhi searched for their handcuffs and found that they had been pick pocketed.

Reika groaned as she pulled on the handcuffs. "Give me the keys." she said to Kyoya.

"Before I do," Kyoya said. "What was that about running our customers with a truck?"

"Has she been drinking cold medicine again?" Tamaki asked Kyoya.

Reika rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kyoya." she said. "We both know that you already know."

Kyoya gave her a confused look and as did the rest of the Host Club. "What is going on, Rei-chan?" Honey asked.

She laughed at them. "You really want to play this game, fine." she said. "I was okay with the dead threats, trust me it was a thrill to see the ways all of your fans planned to kill me if they could. The refusal to speak to me from every girl in school was fine too, I had Haruhi for that. But slashing my scooter's tires and dumping ice cold water on me was badly thought up though very infuriating."

Everyone was quiet for a while, they were all wondering how this had all happened and none of them knew. Sure, Reika kept it hidden but not even Kyoya knew. Kyoya didn't know!

"How long has this been happening?" Tamaki asked seriously, he had a zero bullying tolerance.

"What?" she asked shocked. "You guys really didn't know?"

"How long?" Kyoya repeated Tamaki's question.

"Since I started being Kyoya's assistant." she said shrugging, looking down. All her anger was gone, she didn't want the boys to feel bad, it wasn't their fault. "It was fine, really. Until today."

"No, this is not fine!" Tamaki said angrily, the boys and Haruhi all had similar expressions. "I will not allow any of the members of my club to be threatened."

Reika smiled. "That's really sweet Tamaki, really." she said. "But I know how to take care of myself."

"They have been really mean to you Rei-chan." Honey said. "I don't want to entertain anyone who is mean to my friends."

"We don't either." the twins said. "Who ever did this to you, we will make sure they are dealt with."

"Just leave it to us, Reika." Kyoya said. "We'll figure out who did this to you."

"That's really nice of you guys." Reika said smiling, truthfully, she was near tears. She was so glad she had friends who were willing to stand up for her. "You do understand, though, that whomever is doing this, clearly isn't smart or knows what they are doing when it comes to these attacks."

"What do you mean?" Haruhi asked out loud what all the club members faces were asking.

"They write their death threats by hand, so I know their handwriting. They cut me off from speaking to other girls, which makes me only speak to you guys. They drenched my uniform, I don't have a spare, I'm going to have to borrow something in storage. And have you seen the clothes in storage?" she asked them. The twins smiled to each in response, and even Tamaki blushed. "Yeah, that's right. I'm going to have to wear that. Lastly, they slashed my tires which means I could ask of you guys to take me home. They are clearly idiots, the only thing that they are doing is bringing me closer to you."

The Host members smile at each other at Reika's oddly positive view of her bullying.

"They may be idiots," Hikaru started. "But that doesn't excuse them from what they did to you." Kaoru said. "And we'll make them pay."

Reika smiled at that. "Now can I please be released?" she asked Kyoya.

"Oh, I don't know where the keys are." Kyoya answered, not even a little bit worried. Reika's eyes narrow at him, then at the twins. "I've taught how to get out of handcuffs. I'm sure you can get out of them again, they are the same ones I used before."

Reika rolled her eyes as Kyoya's sentence catches up to the twins' perverted mind. "Wait. Does that mean you handcuffed her before, Kyoya-senpai?" they ask him. "What did you handcuff Reika-senpai to?"

Kyoya opens his mouth but then thinks better of it, and closes it again. The twins' eyes fall on Reika, begging her to tell them.

"Do you want the truth or the made up version?" she asks them, getting a little payback for Kyoya losing the keys. There is a devilish glare in her eyes that make even the twins are a little scared.

"Surprise us." they said.

Reika smiles at their reply. Kyoya braces himself for her answer, he knows he can't stop her from talking without making it seem like they did something else entirely different than just practice of Reika's lock picking skills.

"It was another late afternoon for us, we had just eaten and I was as bored as usual. Kyoya kept looking at me from time to time until he grabbed me by my wrist and told me that we were going to practice something new. I let myself be taken into the storage room where we keep all the props. He takes me to where the beds are and," Reika stops for dramatic effect and also to check everyone's expression.

Mori and Honey are disinterested, the twins are at the edge of their seats, Haruhi looks surprised, Tamaki is blushing and looking at Haruhi every few seconds, and Kyoya's hands are clenched as he keeps himself from stopping Reika from continuing her story.

"He tells me to sit down, I do. He tells me to close my eyes, and I do. I feel something cold on my wrists and before I know it I'm being dragged by my wrist to the frame of the bed. I'm lying sprawled on the bed when I hear two sharp clicks. I open my eyes and I see him watching me. I struggle with the cuffs, and he tells me to-"

"Okay, enough!" Kyoya said, fighting a blush. "That was clearly made up."

"Yeah, that's true." the twins say. "But good story. Really had us going for a minute."

"I knew you guys wouldn't be fooled by it." Reika said giving them a secretive smile. The boys and Haruhi are being entertained by Honey and his adorable antics when Kyoya approached Reika. "'Clearly made up'?" she asks him.

"That didn't happen." he said simply.

"Are you denying that you took me to the storage room and told me it was time to learn something new?" she asked him.

"No." he said looking down.

"That you told me to sit on the bed and close my eyes, then?" she asked him.

"No." he said.

"Or that you did handcuff to the bed?"

"No."

"Then was it that you said-"

"No!" he said almost too loudly. "I'm not denying that, it just didn't happen the way you were telling it."

"And how exactly was that?" she asked him, catching him off guard. "Because like you agreed, I had all the facts right."

"But-" he was about to protest but the doors of the Host Club were opening, the boys and Haruhi rushed to their positions just as their new guest came into view. It was a little girl, no older than nine with her hair in pigtails.

"Welcome," they all said in union.

"My," Tamaki said without breaking his princely deminior. "What a young guest. Well, glad you're here." he said offering the little girl his gloved hand. "My little lost kitty-cat."

The little girl just stared at Tamaki in awe and gasped. _Looks like Tamaki's charming self wins another heart. _Reika thought to herself.

"Little kitty-cat," Tamaki kindly addressed the little girl again. "Why have you come to see us today?"

The little girl blushed and Tamaki leaned in close to her, thinking she was going to be like his average customer. To his surprise, she pointed at him and said something that no one would soon forget.

"It's a reverse-harem!" she called out. Everyone, including Reika, was shocked. "This is a reverse-harem!" she said again, everyone was quite, trying to determine if what they heard was correct.

"That can't be right," Tamaki said trying to get non-existent water from his ear. "I must have heard wrong. Maybe there's still some water in my ear from when I went swimming."

Hikaru imitated the boss and laughed it off. "Water in the ear, that's gotta be it." he said, only he didn't posses Tamaki's unfazed face.

"I'm sure we just heard her wrong." Kaoru said following his brother's lead. "There's no way this cute little girl said the words reverse-harem. Something is going on with our ears."

The little girl's eyes traveled from the boys in front of her to Reika, who was soaking wet and handcuffed to a chair. Her little blue eyes returned to the boys.

"There is debauchery here." she said, another thing no one would be able to forget. She started jumping up and down excited. "Yay! There is debauchery here! Isn't there?"

"What do you mean there is debauchery here?" Reika asked her.

"Isn't it obvious?" the little girl said. "You are the only girl here and you're tied to a chair in a room filled with boys. This must be a reverse-harem, and when there is a reverse-harem there is debauchery."

"She has a point." Reika informed the boys and Haruhi, the little girl beamed.

Kyoya sighed pulling the keys to the handcuffs out of his jacket pocket and freeing Reika from the chair. "See, now no one is tied up." he said. "This is not a reverse-harem and there is no debauchery here."

"You told me you didn't know where the key was." Reika told him, furious.

"I must have forget, my apologies." Kyoya said nonchalant. Meanwhile, the little girl was educating the other members as to why this was a reverse-harem.

First was Kyoya. "You're the glasses character." then she moved to Honey and Mori. "You're the boy lolita, and the stoic type." she moved to the twins. "Twincest." then came Haruhi. "You're the book worm." her eyes moved to Reika. "And you must be the heroine who gets to play around with all of them." finally her eyes caught Tamaki who was afraid of what his identifier would be. "Big brother?" she said catching everyone by surprise as her eyes started to water. "My brother is blonde, you must be him."

She jumped to hug him. "You never told us this." Hikaru said.

"Since when do you have a little sister?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't." Tamaki said. "I'm definitely an only child. At least as far as I know."

The boys continued to argue over why they taught the little girl, Kirimi, could be Tamaki's little sister. After all, they are both blonde. Suddenly the conversation escalated from Tamaki denying that Kirimi was his sister to him accepting brotherly duties that he clearly didn't have.

"What do you think we should do?" Haruhi asked Reika and Kyoya as they watched Tamaki spun his new "little sister" around.

"We should probably try to find out if she actually has a brother at this school." Kyoya said pensively.

"She looks kinda familiar to me." Reika said looking at the little blonde girl. There was just something about her that was oddly familiar.

"Really?" Kyoya asked. "Do you think you know who her is?"

"I don't-" Reika stopped short as the room suddenly got dark.

"Kirimi. Kirimi." a creepy voice echoed through Music Room #3 as the lights turned back on. Just like that, Reika was reminded of who Kirimi was and also who was her brother.

A tall, fair skinned boy with blonde hair and blue eyes that matched Kirimi's features peaked through the door that no one even knew was in Music Room #3.

"Hey, um. Who the hell are you?" the twins said together.

"He looks like a foreigner." Honey said.

"What's up with that?" Haruhi said. "Even the door looks different all of the sudden."

"Oh, Kirimi." the boy said ignoring their comments. Kirimi whimpered as two dark figures came from behind the boy.

"Master." the man said.

"You forgot your cloak." the woman said.

Suddenly the handsome boy was shrouded in darkness, and Reika sighed rolling her eyes. It was him alright.

"Nekozawa-senpai?" the twins, Haruhi, and Tamaki said together in shock.

Reika smiled through it all and stepped up to greet her old friend. "Umehito, how have you been?" she asked him.

His eyes widened visibly through his cloak as he looked at her. "Reika, my love, is that really you?"

"My love?" this time all the Club members were shocked.

Reika just smiled. "Yes, it's me." she said.

Nekozawa took her by her arms and pulled her towards him like he was afraid she would disappear. "I have not see you, my dark flower, since I started at Ouran. Do tell me, how do you fair?" he asked with noticeable concern.

"I'm pretty good, I guess." she said, a little taken aback.

"Why are your clothes and hair so dampt?" he asked her.

"Nothing to be concerned about, just a harmless prank." she said waving it off as if not an hour ago she walked in demanding hell on her aggravators.

"A prank?" he said with anger. "Tell me their names and I will curse them and their bloodlines!"

"Now, now." Tamaki said very concerned. "No need to break out curses."

"It is necessary, someone has threatened my love." Nekozawa said.

"Umehito, didn't you come here to find your sister?" Reika said getting him off the path of revenge.

"Ah, yes." he said turning to face the others. His servants began to tell a very detailed background story of Nekozawa and his sister, while Kyoya pulled Reika aside to one of the back rooms.

"What is the relationship between you and Nekozawa-senpai?" he asked her, trying very hard to keep any emotions from entering his voice.

"Don't you want to hear the story, I can assure you that it is fascinating." Reika said trying to change the subject. "Though, it does lose something after you've heard it once every week."

"I've heard the story," Kyoya said. "I am curious as to how you've heard it, and you've heard it once a week."

Reika sighed. "We got married." she said seriously, but she meant it as a joke.

"What?!" he said a little too loud.

She laughed, and he began to understand what she meant. "He was one of my play mates from homeschooling, and we got _pretend _married once." she said. "We were pretty close, that is until he started to attend Ouran and he wasn't in the homeschooling program any more."

"I guess I deserved that." he said wiping his glasses and sighing.

"Yes," she said smiling. "Now you know to never handcuff me to any other places. Or haven't you learned your lesson yet. You know what they said, the third time's the charm."

Kyoya rolled his eyes at her. "This won't happen if you didn't twist the truth." he said.

"Twist the truth?" she asked him. "All that I've told you and everyone else is the truth, it's not my fault you misinterpret it."

"Because you make it sound like there's something there and there is nothing!" he said.

"I wouldn't say there is nothing there." she told him. "I say that is open to interpretation."

He shook his head at her. "So how long is this going to last?" he asked her.

"Do you plan on hand cuffing me again?" she asked.

"No." he said.

"Then it stops now." she said reaching for the door handle, "Oh, one more thing." she looked back at him. "Since we were on the topic of misinterpretation. Never handcuff a girl to a bed and tell, 'You are going to enjoy this.' if you don't want that to be misinterpreted."

His eyes widened and his cheeks began to change colors. "Rei-!" he started but she closed the door in a hurry before he could finish.

"What was that?" one pair of curious blue eyes asked her, while the second pair of brown eyes looked at her puzzled.

"Nothing to concern yourselves with." Reika said, more for Haruhi's sake than Kirimi's. There was no need for Reika's conversation topic with Kyoya to reach Kimiri's impressionable mind. "What are you guys reading?" she asked looking at the piles of manga on the Cub's couch.

"The bookworm is reading to me." Kirimi said.

"I'm not really a bookworm." Haruhi said a little on edge. "And my name is Haruhi."

Kirimi dismissed her completely. "Do I know you? Have we met before today?" Kirimi asked Reika. "You look very familiar."

"Yes, I'm a friend of your brother." Reika said. "I'm Reika."

"Reika Niigata?" Kirimi's eyes flashed in recognition. "I've heard your name whispered throughout my house, I thought you were a ghost."

"Nope, I'm very much alive." Reika said laughing, as Kyoya exited the back room and moved to the door. Haruhi took her opportunity to run away from Kirimi and her requests for Haruhi to read her shojo mangas.

"Do you run this club?" Kirimi asked Reika.

"No, Tamaki is the president." Reika said. "I work for Kyoya."

"Kyoya?" Kirimi asked confused.

"The glasses character." Reika explained.

"Oh, him. Do you like him?" Kirimi asked flat out.

"What?!" Reika asked shocked. "Why would you ask that."

"So you do like him."

"No I don't. He's my boss."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I thought you two would be a cute couple. But I guess Big Brother would do too."

"Big Brother? You mean Tamaki? No, no, no. Just no."

"Then if you had to pick, which would you chose?"

"Kyoya."

"That was fast."

"So what?"

"You like him."

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!" Kirimi said standing up. "And I'm going to prove it!" she said as she took off running to Science Room #3.

For a girl her age, Kirimi was really fast and got to Science Room #3 a lot faster than Reika did. When Reika got into the room, Kirimi was already inside and waiting to see her big brother's face in the dark science room.

"Sorry, I couldn't stop her." Reika said to Kyoya trying to catch her breath.

"It's alright." Kyoya said. "It just might be the push that Nekozawa-senpai needed to overcome his fear."

They watched as Nekozawa took the flashlight and pointed it at his face. Only instead of seeing his handsome face, Kirimi saw his face in the scariest way possible. She began to scream in terror.

"Kirimi, wait!" Nekozawa said as she ran away from him.

"So I guess shining the flashlight in his face," Hikaru started, "Scared her and sent her running." Kaoru finished.

Nekozawa was on the floor, mourning his failed attempt to make his sister like him. "Oh, Kirimi." he whimpered and started to cry.

"Nekozawa-senpai?" Tamaki asked concerned.

"I've had enough," Nekozawa said. "Even if I continue your special training, there is no guarantee that Kirimi will ever accept me. I think she'd be better off if you acted as her brother in my stead, Suoh."

Tamaki stepped up to the whimpering boy with a determined face. "That's ridiculous, you are the big brother she's looking for." he said. "If you care about her, you will do whatever it takes to win her over."

While Nekozawa considered his options, the twins opened the blinds in Science Room #3. "Hey, look." Hikaru said. "Kirimi-chan hasn't made it out of the court yard."

"But there's something down there with her." Kaoru said. "Oh, it's just a cat." It seemed that only Kyoya and Reika caught Nekozawa's worried face as Hikaru continued to talk.

"Your family sure loves cats." Hikaru said.

"Even stray cats warm up to you guys." Kaoru said.

"What did you say?" Nekozawa said leaping to the window, not bothered to with the light, as he concern washed his face. "They are revered by our family, that's true. But Kirimi wouldn't participate in something like that. Something as occult as befriending a stray cat." he said. Everyone stood still. "Kirimi is afraid of animals, and cats are the creatures she fears the most."

They all watched as the fat, white cat started to approach Kirimi and her scared face.

There was a crash noise and before anyone knew, Nekozawa was sailing through the window to rescue his sister.

"Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki called after him.

"But he's not wearing his black cloak." Haruhi pointed out.

"Is no one worried that just he jumped of a second story building?!" Reika asked outraged.

Like a true cat prince, Nekozawa landed on his feet and ran to save his little sister from the evil stray cat.

Seeing her brother for the first time not covered in cloaks, Kirimi recognized him and ran towards him to give him a long expected hug. "Big Brother!" she called him.

"Would you look at that." Honey said as the Host Clubs members observed at another one of their success with a smile on their faces.

"This is all thanks to my special training." Range said proudly.

Nekozawa's success, however, was fleeting as he soon became weakened by the sunlight and collapsed.

The next day, Reika had gone home early to attend one of her mother's classes on having dinner with the Ootori family.

Nekozawa walked in with his usual dark presence to meet the tall boy in glasses that called the meeting.

"What did you want, Ootori?" Nekozawa asked confused, he expected it was Tamaki that called the meeting, not Kyoya.

"Am I correct to assume that you care about Reika?" Kyoya asked, cutting to the chase.

"Yes." Nekozawa said. "I would do anything for my dark flower."

"Good." Kyoya said standing up and motioning for Nekozawa to follow him. He pointed at the picture of a brunette girl in the Ouran Academy uniform. "This is Princess Minori Shiga. She is the one that has been tormenting Reika for the past months."

A dark aura was being emitted from Nekozawa, so dark that his cloak looked light in comparison. "I would curse her and her bloodline, but I do not think my Reika would like that." he said.

"You are correct," Kyoya said fixing his glasses trying not to break them. "But that doesn't mean you can't scare her into stopping what she's doing."

Nekozawa was taken aback by Kyoya's comment. "You surprise me, Ootori." he said. "I might make you into a black magician yet."

"Just make sure that Princess Shiga stops her attacks on Reika." Kyoya said closing the file and giving it to Nekozawa. "Everything you need is in here."

"Thank you, I will make sure she stops." Nekozawa said taking his leave. But he stopped and looked back at Kyoya. "Do you care about her too?"

"She's my assistant, of course I care." Kyoya replied, not looking at Nekozawa as he started turning off lights and heading for the door.

"That's not what I meant." Nekozawa said curiously.

"I know." Kyoya said walking out of Music Room #3.


	9. The Mascarade of Ootori!

**Chapter 9**

_Mascarade of Ootori!/Honey's Three Bitter Days!_

* * *

It was an unusual three days for the Host Club. Especially for the two girls in the Club who had never seen Honey as nothing but sweet and adorable. He had become a tyrant monster for the past three days without having any of his sweets, it was quite the shock for the girls.

Now with the conflict resolved, Reika and Kyoya finally had some time to relax after hours in Music Room #3. Reika was bringing back their dinner for the night and found Kyoya just like she left him an hour ago, staring at his computer.

"What is it?" Reika asked as she set his food in front of him.

"Nothing." he said stubbornly as he closed his computer and started eating.

"Come on," she said sitting down and opening her food containers. "Something must really be bothering you. And I know it's not the Club's finances, we've saved a lot of money in Honey's anti-sweets campaign."

"You don't have to worry about it." he said. "It has nothing to do with the Host Club."

"Then what does it have to do with?" she asked him persistently.

He sighed, knowing that she was very persistent when she wanted to know something. It was something that he both admired and envied. She could get almost anything out of him, and he still didn't know anything about her. It was a new experience for him, he was usual who found out people's secrets, but it still infuriated him.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a better a idea to tell her. After all, if she came, maybe someone would recognize her and he would know who she is. Of course, it wouldn't be as much fun as actually figuring it out himself. Then again, they would be wearing masks.

He opened up her computer and showed her the invitation. "It's my family's annual masquerade ball." he said as he let her look it over.

"What's the problem?" she asked him. "It looks like fun."

"Yes, except I'm expected to bring a date." he said casually. "I usually got with my past vice presidents since they have all been girls for the past three years. Only now, as you know, Tamaki is our class' vice president."

"Why not ask Haruhi?" she suggested.

"Ask the girl that everyone at school thinks is a boy?" he asked her, raising his eyebrow. "Is that wise?"

Reika smiled and laughed slightly. "I guess not." she said pensively. "Then why not take me?"

"You?" he asked surprised, even though he was expecting this.

"Yes." she said. "I'm a girl and I am considered a girl by the school. I may not be your vice president, but I am your assistant. That's close enough."

"I guess you're right." Kyoya said, fake considering the idea, while inside he was proud of the fact his plan had worked. "Yes, that will do."

"Then ask me." Reika said.

"What?" he asked her confused.

"Ask me to go to your family's masquerade ball." she said smiling.

He wasn't sure if she was kidding. "Alright." he said. "Reika, would do me the honor to accompany me to my family's masquerade ball?"

"I would be happy to, Kyoya." she said smiling, finding it amusing. "Now, was that so hard?"

Kyoya rolled his eyes at her. "Be ready tonight at seven, I'll-" he was interrupted by her.

"No, no, no." Reika cut him off. "I'm not telling you where I live." she smiled and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You didn't think I would make it that easy, did you? I'll meet you at there at eight."

"How will I know who you are?" he teased her plan.

She stood up and grabbed her food. "Trust me, you'll know." she said as she was walking out of the room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find a dress and a mask to wear tonight."

He watched her go, a small smile slowly forming on his lips.

* * *

Reika was shopping with Haruhi when the twins found her.

"What do you think of this dress?" Haruhi said pulling out a polk-a-dot black and yellow dress from the racks.

"It's a little too casual." Reika said, trying not to offend her friend by telling her that the dress she chose was very disastrous.

"I'm sorry that I'm no help with dresses." Haruhi said.

"It's okay, I just need your honest opinion." Reika said.

"That I can manage." Haruhi said smiling.

"Good." Reika said smiled back as she passed several racks of dresses.

"Why are you going to the masquerade with Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked curiously.

"Because he asked, and he didn't have anyone else to go with." Reika said nonchalantly.

"Now that's not true." the twins said in unison as they caught up with the girls, making them both jump with their sudden presence.

"What do you mean?" Reika asked, getting over the surprise.

"Kyoya-senpai could have asked any of his guest to accompany him." Kaoru said.

"But he chose to ask you." Hikaru said.

Reika smiled at them. "That's because every year he chooses a girl that he actually spends time with." she told them. "He's taken all of his past female vice presidents."

"Then who did he take last year?" the twins asked her. "Wasn't his vice president last year Tamaki-senpai too?"

"Really?" Reika asked surprised, Kyoya had failed to mention that. "Who did he take then?"

"No one." the twins said. "We believed that he was going alone again."

"Then how did you find out?" Reika asked curiously. "Were you guys eavesdropping again?"

"Lucky for you we did, Reika-senpai." Hikaru said, smiling deviously.

"And why is that?" she asked him.

"If you would follow us." the twins said leading the girls away from the store. "You too, Haruhi."

"Should we?" Reika asked Haruhi.

Haruhi sighed, looking at the twins. "We might as well." she said following them and looking back at Reika. "They will taunt us until we do."

Reika nodded, falling into step with Haruhi, as they followed the twins. The red haired twins lead the girls to a blacked out store. Inside were hundreds of dresses, masks, shoes, and accessories.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Reika Niigata." the twin maids said as the girls entered the store. "Miss Haruhi Fujioka."

"Hey," Haruhi said to the maids.

"Hello." Reika greeted the maids.

"Shopping is such a bore." Hikaru said to his brother.

"We will wait outside for you." Kaoru said.

Before they could leave, Reika stopped them. "Hey," she said making them turn around. "Thanks for this. Really."

The twins smiled. "It's our pleasure." they said in union.

Reika smiled back before turning to the maids. "Alright." she said clapping her hands and checking her watch. "We have four hours for me to choose a dress and everything else."

"Leave up to us, Miss Reika Niigata!" the maids said as they started showing Reika dresses.

Reika was trying on her fourth dress when she pulled Haruhi out of her chair and got her to try on dresses as well. Reika even got the twin maids to try on dresses with her and Haruhi.

Many, many dresses later. Reika stood in front of the mirror with the dress she chose. "This is it." she said smiling.

"You look great." Haruhi complimented her, smiling in awe.

"Thanks." Reika said turning around to face the other three girls. "I meant. Thank you, to all of you. This is perfect."

"It is our pleasure, Miss Reika Niigata." the maids said bowing.

Reika smiled. "Call me Reika, please." she said.

"You look beautiful, Reika." the maids said.

She turned to Haruhi, looking nervous. "Have you ever been to something like this before?" Reika asked her.

"I can't say that I have." Haruhi said looking at Reika's dress. "But I'm sure you will do great."

"Here's hoping." Reika said stepping away from the mirror, sighing.

"Don't forget your mask." the twins said coming from the door, and handing her a black mask.

"Thank you." Reika said taking the mask and putting it on. "What do you think?"

The twins offered their elbows to Reika. "Kyoya-senpai is going to have his hands full tonight." they said.

Reika smiled. "Thanks." she said. "All of you."

"Have fun tonight." Haruhi said waving at Reika.

"I'll try." Reika said as the twins lead her out of the store.

* * *

The ballroom of the Ootori Estate as well as the gardens were filled with masked people. Kyoya was watching from afar, observing the interactions of people. He saw many people taking advantage of being someone else for a night.

Though it seemed illogical to him-how one person could suddenly be someone else entirely because of a silly mask-he wondered if he could do the same.

Kyoya was lost in thought, watching people dance and laugh, until he saw her. She was a tall girl with black hair, dressed in purple dress. It was her, he knew she couldn't be anyone else. Before he even realized it, he was walking in her direction.

Reika smiled at Kyoya as he walked towards her. He was wearing a black suit with purple details, his mask was especially made so it also accommodated his glasses.

He handed her a purple rose. "You were right." he told her, offering his elbow. "You are easy to spot."

She laughed at his comment, taking his arm. She twirled the rose between her gloved fingers. "You don't look half bad yourself." she said.

A man with a wolf mask approached them. "Looks as if you have found quite the date this year, Ootori." the man said.

Kyoya bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Wakayama." he said.

"What is your name?" Mr. Wakayama asked Reika with a charming smile.

"Reika Niigata." she said smiling.

"Niigata, you say?" Mr. Wakayama said intrigued.

"Yes." Reika said smiling.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Niigata." he said.

"You too, Mr. Wakayama." she told him.

"Please excuse me." Mr. Wakayama said backing away from them.

Reika turned to Kyoya once Mr. Wakayama had left. "Who was he?" she asked Kyoya.

"A shareholder in my father's business." Kyoya said unceremoniously.

"He seems interested in who I am." she told him.

"He's not the only one." Kyoya said smiling coldly as they walked.

"Then why not ask him?" Reika told him, raising her eyebrow. "You could mention my name to many people here and they would be glad to tell you. Isn't that why you brought me here?"

Kyoya smiled. "Give me some credit." he told her. "Have I ever lied to you?"

"No," she said smirking. "But you have held back some of the facts."

"Fair enough," he said stopping and looking her in the eye. "Care to play a game?"

"What type of game?" she asked curiously.

"A truth game." he said.

She raised her eyebrow. "What kind of truth game?" she asked.

"Just for tonight," he said, contemplating his words. "I will be completely truthful."

"To me or in general?" she asked smiling, pleased.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Only to you." he said. "Don't push it."

Reika giggled. "And what do you expect from me?" she asked.

"I want a favor."

"What type of favor?"

"I don't know yet."

"So you just expect me to give you a favor that even you don't know what it's going to be?"

"Yes."

"I take it the truth game has started."

"It has."

"Which means that I no other choice but to accept."

"Exactly." Kyoya said smiling.

Reika closed her eyes and let out a laugh. "This should be fun." she said pensively. "Where should I begin?"

His eyes narrowed at her for the second time that night. Many people would have found his narrowed eyes a terrifying gesture, but to Reika it was encouragement.

"Don't push it." he warned her again.

"What is stopping you from asking people who I am?" she asked him.

"Because I want to find out for myself." he said.

"Then why did you really invite me here?" she asked him. "The twins said you didn't have a date last year."

He let out an angry huff. Plotting the twins' death, no doubt. "I wanted you to accompany me."

"Is that it?" she asked him, knowing it wasn't the whole truth. "You told me you would tell me the whole truth."

"I have no other motives that I would like to discuss." he said cleverly.

She smiled, accepting defeat, she took a few steps away from him before turning around to face him. "What do you think?" she asked him, gesturing to her dress. She looked down nervously.

Kyoya looked down and mumbled something.

"What was that?" Reika asked interested.

He let out a breath, walking a few steps closer to her and looking her in the eye. "You look well." he said with his usual nonchalant face.

She smiled, it was short and curt, but she knew it took a lot to say it. "Thank you." she said.

They looked at each other, before they broke eye contact at the same time. He took a few steps back and cleared his throat while she half turned away from him.

When she turned back, a built man was whispering to Kyoya. Kyoya dismissed the man and turned to Reika.

"I'm needed." Kyoya explained to her, with slight hit of sorrow. So slight that Reika missed it all together.

"Go," she urged him. "I'll be okay." He nodded, taking one last look her before walking away.

"Miss Reika Niigata," said a voice behind Reika, making her jump and turn around to find the source of the voice. "Does your mother know you're here?"

"It seems like I'm at a disadvantage," Reika said to the man with her default decorum. "You know my name but I don't know yours."

The man smiled. "How rude of me." the man said extending his hand. "Yoshio Ootori."

Reika was surprised, but shook his hand regardless. "You're Kyoya's father." she said.

"Yes, I am." Yoshio Ootori said. "I'm surprised to see that you are my son's date tonight. Especially since he didn't inform me."

"That's because he doesn't know." she said.

He smiled. "And you didn't tell him." he said.

"It's a hard topic to discuss." she told him, sighing as she walked to the balcony. "And anyway, it's not like anything is set in stone."

"You don't want to marry him?" he asked, trying to understand the girl. "Would you rather be one of my other sons?"

"That's not what I mean." she said, looking down at the guests in the garden. "How hopeless-do you think-it is for people like us to marry for love?"

"Nearly impossible." he stated coldly.

"Exactly. If I am to marry him, even if it is far off in the future, then I want to get to know him better." she said looking at the man in front of her for a second.

"Even if this deceit drives a wedge between you?" he asked curiously.

Kyoya waved at her from the garden below. She waved back. "Then I'll know really what type of person he is." she said, gesturing to Kyoya she would be down soon. She turned to Kyoya's father. "He wants to find out who I am by himself. I respect that, and I hope you will too."

Yoshio Ootori nodded. "I will." he said, she bowed and started to leave him. "Though, he will find out soon enough, the day is approaching."

Reika turned her head back to look at him. "I know." she said. "And I'm going to hold on to each day until he finds out."

"He's lucky." Yoshio Ootori said.

Reika smiled sadly. "I'm not so sure." she said before leaving him.

Yoshio Ootori watched as Reika meet up with Kyoya on the garden below. The two were greatly matched. Yoshio pondered over their interactions. Reika held back, but not as much as his son. Yoshio could tell that the girl was uncertain of Kyoya's feeling towards her, and that could prove to be a problem if he wanted negotiations with Niigata Enterprises to go smoothly. He looked at his two eldest sons and smiled coldly. This wasn't the time to leave things up to fate.


End file.
